Baar, November 26 - Neftegaz.RU. On 25 November, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) started to introduce the 1st natural gas into a 2 km section of the pipeline in Greece between the Evros river and the Kipoi compressor station. This is the initial stage of the pipeline commissioning process, which aims to ensure that the infrastructure is entirely safe and ready for operations after the completion of the process, in line with national and international safety and operational standards.
Introducing gas into the pipeline system is another milestone towards the start of Shah Deniz II gas deliveries to Europe. Commercial gas flows through TAP are being planned to start in October 2020 when the complete asset all the way to Italy is expected to be commissioned and tested.
John Haynes, TAP Project Director, said: “More than 3,5 years since the start of construction, 46 million man-hours worked safely and 128 million km driven without any major incidents, we are pleased to have the pipeline system progressively ready for the complex commissioning phase. We would like to thank our network of contractors, subcontractors and partners who have shared our commitment to safety and high industry standards and who contributed to TAP reaching this important milestone.”
Following the commissioning of the 1st section, gas will continue to be gradually introduced into other sections of the Greek pipeline and beyond in Albania and Italy in the upcoming weeks and months.
Forming part of the Southern Gas Corridor, a $40 billion 3500-km long gas value chain stretching from the Caspian Sea to Europe, TAP will offer a direct and cost-effective transportation route to South East European countries and beyond.
TAP will transport natural gas from the giant Shah Deniz II field in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea to Europe. The 878 km long pipeline connects with the TANAP at the Turkish-Greek border in Kipoi, crosses Greece and Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Southern Italy. 1st gas deliveries to Europe via TAP will start in October 2020.
