September 9, 2017
by in News

TAP receives around 95% of total pipes needed for construction

By Leman Zeynalova:

Approximately 95 percent of the total 55,000 pipes to be used for the construction of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) have been received in Greece, Albania and Italy, said the message from TAP AG.

The last shipment of offshore line pipes has been offloaded in Brindisi, Italy, between 3 and 6 September 2017.

TAP’s contractors have cleared approximately 70 percent of the project route in Greece and Albania (539km out of 765km). Also, over 45 percent of welded steel pipes are already in the ground (backfilled).

“We are pleased that TAP continues to progress on time and on budget. We therefore remain on track to deliver the first Shah Deniz II gas in 2020, bringing a much-needed new source of energy into the European energy network,” said TAP Managing Director Luca Schieppati.

“I want to underline that our project is built with the utmost care for the environment. Our teams are working very carefully along our route to ensure that the land on which construction has been completed is returned to the owners or users in its original condition or better. We are also collaborating with local authorities and local stakeholders to ensure that the benefits of our project are tangible across all those communities crossed by the pipeline,” Schieppati added.

Nearly 2,500 tie-ins have been completed as part of the implementation of TAP project in Greece and Albania, TAP AG consortium said in a message on its Twitter page.

“This is the construction step where 2 pipe strings (~1km) are welded together inside the trench,” said the message.

TAP is a part of the Southern Gas Corridor, which is one of the priority energy projects for the European Union. The project envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz Stage 2 to the EU countries.

The pipeline will connect to the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) on the Turkish-Greek border, run through Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Italy’s south.

TAP will be 878 kilometers in length (Greece 550 kilometers, Albania 215 kilometers, Adriatic Sea 105 kilometers, and Italy 8 kilometers).

TAP’s shareholding is comprised of BP (20 percent), SOCAR (20 percent), Snam S.p.A. (20 percent), Fluxys (19 percent), Enagás (16 percent) and Axpo (5 percent).

Source : Trend

September 9, 2017
by in News

Albania, Montenegro Eye EU Funding for Gas Pipeline

Albania’s Energy Ministry on Friday presented a feasibility study for a 618-million-euros gas corridor between Albania, Bosnia and Croatia, which it hopes the EU and US will support.

Albania’s Ministry of Energy on Friday in Tirana unveiled a preliminary feasibility study for a proposed Ionian-Adriatic gas pipeline, hoping the EU may fund construction of the section of the pipeline between Albania and Montenegro.

Damian Gjiknuri, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, said Albania had a strong interest in the pipeline project, which could help gasify the country. “We hope for support from the EU and the US [for the project],” he said.

The 511-km-long pipeline, expected to cost up to 618 million euros, aims to link the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline with Montenegro, Bosnia and Croatia.

The feasibility study calls for a new pipeline with a capacity of 5 billion cubic meters per year, BCM, from which Albania and Bosnia hope to consume 1 BCM each, Montenegro 0.5 BCM while Croatia, the biggest and the strongest economy in the Western Balkans, is expected to consume 2.5 BCM per year.

The US Ambassador to Tirana, Donald Lu, expressed America’s support for the project, as a way to obtain a new source of energy that is not dependent on Russia, and as a means to strengthen regional energy collaboration.

The Albanian Energy Ministry said that, in collaboration with the European Commission, its Directory for Energy and the Ministry of Economy of Montenegro had presented a proposal to the Western Balkans Investment Framework, hoping it will finance the development of the project for the sections in Albania and Montenegro.

The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline is currently under construction. It is expected to ship gas from Azerbaijan to Italy through existing pipelines in Turkey and Greece and through a new pipeline running from Greece to Italy through Albania and under the Adriatic Sea.

The pipeline will have an exit point near Fieri, in Albania, which creates hopes of getting new energy supplies for all Western Balkan countries.

They all have large energy deficits and are heavily dependent on coal to generate electricity. Albania and Montenegro have large hydropower capacities but they are not sufficient to cover all their energy needs.

A gas network could help both countries to produce electricity by burning gas and substitute the use of electricity in some functions like heating, thus limiting the need to use coal and protecting the environment at the same time.

Source: Balkaninsight

September 9, 2017
by in News

IAP project counts on EU, US support

The countries involved in the construction of the Ionian-Adriatic Pipeline (IAP), Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia count on the support of the European Union and the United States.

The remarks were made during the meeting of the Project Management Unit for IAP project held in Tirana.

Addressing the event, Albania’s Energy Minister Damian Gjiknuri stated that his country has completed the drafting of the Gas Master Plan and has built a fruitful cooperation with Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and the Energy Community for the implementation of the IAP project.

He expressed confidence that this project will be supported by both the United States and the European Union, said the message posted on the website of Albanian energy ministry.

Of course, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project is really the main pillar to support the development of the gas sector in Albania, but IAP pipeline will also play a primary role, said Gjiknuri.

IAP is not just a natural extension of TAP, said the minister, adding that it will also ensure energy security in the region and bring economic progress to the countries through which it passes.

“We point out that three of the IAP countries are NATO member countries and this makes the IAP project even more necessary in terms of strategic interests in the region,” said Gjiknuri.

IAP is a proposed natural gas pipeline in Southeastern Europe (SEE) that will stretch from Albania through Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, to Split in Croatia. It will be connected with the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).

IAP will provide deliveries of Azerbaijani gas to several countries of South-Eastern Europe. The capacity of the pipeline will amount to five billion cubic meters of gas per year.

TAP is a part of the Southern Gas Corridor, which is one of the priority energy projects for the European Union. The project envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz Stage 2 to the EU countries.

The pipeline will connect to the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) on the Turkish-Greek border, run through Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Italy’s south.

TAP will be 878 kilometers in length (Greece 550 kilometers, Albania 215 kilometers, Adriatic Sea 105 kilometers, and Italy 8 kilometers).

TAP’s shareholding is comprised of BP (20 percent), SOCAR (20 percent), Snam S.p.A. (20 percent), Fluxys (19 percent), Enagás (16 percent) and Axpo (5 percent).

August 29, 2016
by in News

SOCAR JOINS NEW ADRIATIC PIPE PROJECT

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Four western Balkans nations signed a memorandum of understanding with Azerbaijan state Socar on co-operation on building the Ionian Adriatic pipeline (IAP) on the sidelines of a Dubrovnik forum 25-26 August.

The declaration of intent to develop the 5bn m³/year line was originally signed in 2007 by Croatia, Montenegro and Albania. The length of the line from Split in Croatia to Fier in  Albania will be around 530 km and cost around €610mn ($683mn).

Socar will join Croatia, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro in the project which will include a section of the Trans-Adriatic-Pipeline (TAP) designed to bring gas from Shah Deniz 2 field in the Caspian Sea to EU through the so-called Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) after 2020.

Socar’s goal is to connect the Caspian Sea and the Adriatic Sea, the head of Socar Balkans, Murad Heydarov, said after the signing ceremony. “The SGC, which includes the Ionian-Adriatic gas pipeline is an important part of our plans, we have good co-operation with the countries involved in this project,” he said, according to Socar sources.

Croatia’s economy minister Tomislav Panenic said that the future pipeline would provide gas supplies for southeastern Europe. “We have defined our joint initiative for the development of the Ionian-Adriatic gas pipeline as a route that will make sure that these markets are provided with gas. We hope that this route will be a connection between the north and the south and that this may pave the way for a full liberalisation of the gas market in Europe,” he said, Croatian news agency Hina reported.

Montenegro’s economy minister Vladimir Kavaric said that IAP was the only opportunity for the gasification of Montenegro and “the government is ready to do everything to accelerate and successfully implement the project.”

According to Bosnia & Herzegovina’s foreign trade minister Mirko Sarovic, “Bosnia & Herzegovina supports this regional project and approach and ask the partners to ensure that a section of the route goes through Bosnia & Herzegovina.”

Dubrovnik Forum. From left: Presidents of Hungary Janos Ader, Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite, Poland Andrzej Duda, Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, Bulgaria Rosen Plevneliev and Slovenia Borut Pahor.

Dubrovnik Forum. From left: Presidents of Hungary Janos Ader, Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite, Poland Andrzej Duda, Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, Bulgaria Rosen Plevneliev and Slovenia Borut Pahor.

According to preliminary design IAP aims to connect existing transmission system of Croatia via Bosnia & Herzegovina (offshore), Montenegro and Albania to the TAP.

The Baltic-Adriatic-Black Sea (BABS) forum brought together six presidents and high-ranking government officials from 12 EU countries and Albania on  August 25-26 in Dubrovnik, Croatia. A panel discussion at the “Strengthening European energy security” looked at the benefits of energy cooperation in BABS and the role of LNG terminals linking north and south Europe.

Connecting the LNG terminal in Poland with one planned on the island of Krk in Croatia is among the energy projects that BABS region countries want to implement in order to boost competitiveness and development, Croatia’s president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic and Poland’s president, Andrzej Duda, said addressing  forum at the opening ceremony August 25. 

President Duda pointed out the importance of energy connections.“The dominance of a single supplier for the region is harmful and dangerous”, he said adding that development of the gas corridor between the north and the south, as well as the LNG terminal on the island of Krk are important.  

The next meeting of BABS will take place in Wroclaw in June 2017.