BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 11
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
The Southern Gas Corridor, which runs from the Shah Deniz field in Azerbaijan through Turkey and on to Italy, is an important strategic project to help Turkey diversify its import sources and improve pricing optionality, Trend reports citing the International Energy Agency (IEA).
“The project has a capacity to deliver 6 bcm of gas to Turkey and 10 bcm to Europe. Turkey is one of the largest investors in the corridor (through BOTAS and TPAO), with TPAO holding a 19 percent stake in each Shah Deniz field and the Southern Gas Corridor, while BOTAŞ owns 30 percent of TANAP, which is the part of the Southern Gas Corridor that runs from the border of Turkey with Georgia across Turkey to Greece.
In June 2018, TANAP was physically connected to the Turkish transmission system in Seyitgazi/Eskisehir, and gas flow was initiated from this point. Moreover, one physical connection in Gelibolu/Canakkale was commissioned in 2019. The new entry point on TANAP is fully compliant with EU interoperability rules based on regulations put into place by EMRA,” reads the IEA report.
The Southern Gas Corridor, which is comprised of Shah Deniz 2, the South Caucasus Pipeline Expansion, the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) became fully operational on December 31, 2020.
Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) AG confirmed on Dec. 31 the commencement of gas flows from Azerbaijan. The first gas has reached Greece and Bulgaria, via the Nea Mesimvria interconnection point with DESFA, as well as Italy, via the Melendugno interconnection point with SNAM Rete Gas (SRG).
TAP transports natural gas from the giant Shah Deniz field in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea to Europe. The 878 km long pipeline connects with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Turkish-Greek border in Kipoi, crosses Greece and Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Southern Italy.
---
Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
