BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 8. It will be essential to double the capacity of the Trans-Adriatic pipeline (TAP), said Italian Undersecretary for the Environment and Energy Security, Claudio Barbaro, Trend reports Dec.8.
He was addressing the eighth ministerial meeting of the Regional Gas Forum of Eastern Mediterranean Countries.
“Leveraging on its position in the center of the Mediterranean, Italy can become a European gas hub and, in this sense, it will be essential to build two new offshore regasification plants, double the capacity of the Trans-Adriatic pipeline (TAP), expand storage, increase the capacity of existing regasification plants, increase national gas extraction and, finally, complete the Adriatic gas backbone to significantly increase export capacity to Northern Europe,” noted Barbaro.
The undersecretary pointed out that discussions are underway on the possibility of doubling the pipeline's capacity from 10 to 20 billion cubic meters per year.
As the European section of the Southern Gas Corridor, TAP has the capacity to transport approximately 10 billion cubic meters of gas per annum (bcm/a) to several markets in Europe. The pipeline is also designed with the potential to expand its throughput capacity up to 20 bcm/a.
TAP is strategically and economically important to Europe and essential in providing reliable access to a new source of natural gas. TAP plays a significant role in boosting Europe’s energy security, supply diversification, as well as decarbonisation objectives.
TAP’s shareholding is comprised of bp (20 percent), SOCAR (20 percent), Snam (20 percent), Fluxys (19 percent), Enagás (16 percent) and Axpo (5 percent).
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