BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 19. Since the start of operations five years ago, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) has established itself as a strategic partner within a giant energy corridor – the Southern Gas Corridor bringing gas to Europe from the Shah Deniz field in Azerbaijan, a new source and route that proved vital during recent energy supply challenges, Murad Heydarov, Chairman of TAP’s Board of Directors, said in an exclusive interview with Trend, as TAP marked 5 years since the start of commercial operation on November 15.
“TAP’s host countries have evolved into regional energy hubs with the potential to play an even greater role - not only for South-Eastern Europe and the Balkans, but for the entire continent. TAP contributes to this by connecting with other natural gas projects, such as the Interconnector Greece–Bulgaria (IGB), operational since 2022. In 2024 alone, TAP covered around 18% of Greece’s and over 16% of Italy’s total gas imports,” he said.
Heydarov noted that since early 2022, TAP has been able to provide capacity beyond its nominal level, responding flexibly to increased market needs.
“Supported by the reliability of gas supply from the Caspian region, the continuous availability of the asset, and TAP’s operational excellence and comprehensive range of commercial products, additional volumes have been transported to Europe,” said the Chairman of TAP’s Board of Directors.
Heydarov pointed out that having achieved 53 billion cubic meters (bcm) milestone in November 2025, TAP continues to play a key role in ensuring reliable and diversified gas supplies to Europe while supporting decarbonisation and competition.
“In fact, TAP supplies a region that was previously heavily reliant on a single supplier and on higher-emission fossil fuels such as coal and lignite. European Commission has recognised TAP as a flagship project for the decarbonisation of the Western Balkans. Looking ahead, TAP can continue strengthening Europe’s energy security and transition objectives by expanding its capacity, provided there is sufficient market interest,” he added.
Breakdown of delivered volumes by receiving countries
“Since the first gas was transported on the last day of 2020, we have delivered almost 53 bcm of gas to Europe - almost 44,6 bcm to Italy, approximately 5 bcm to Greece, and 3.4 bcm to Bulgaria,” said Heydarov.
How has TAP's client portfolio evolved over the last five years?
Chairman of TAP’s Board of Directors went on to add that over the past five years, the number of companies registered to ship gas through TAP has grown from just three to forty-six.
“These companies represent a diverse mix of major European and regional energy players, trading houses, and utilities. Many of these new participants are active in Greece and Bulgaria - markets that TAP has helped interconnect - further supporting new eastward flows from Italy and Western Europe into South-Eastern Europe. Customer satisfaction remains high, with TAP’s latest survey showing a clear improvement in feedback from both long-standing and newly registered shippers.”
First level of expansion to add 1.2 billion cubic meters annually
Heydarov noted that TAP’s long-term capacity, which currently stands at 10 bcm per year (bcm/a), can be expanded in incremental steps to reach over 20 bcm/a.
“The expansion capacity is offered to the market through regulated procedures, called Market Tests, launched every two years. In line with the commercial commitments taken in the 2021 Market Test, TAP has completed the project works in Kipoi compressor station in Greece related to the first level of expansion. This will make available an additional 1.2 bcm/a of long-term incremental capacity from January 1, 2026.
The expansion works, which commenced in January 2024, have been completed safely, ahead of schedule and on budget without interruption to ongoing gas flows - reflecting TAP’s commitment to operational excellence. To make this expansion possible, a new 15 MW compressor unit was installed at the Kipoi compressor station near the Greek–Türkiye border,” he explained.
Primary target markets for additional volumes
Chairman of TAP’s Board of Directors noted that following TAP’s 2021 Market Test, the pipeline’s long-term capacity will be expanded by 1.2 bcm/a from 2026. Of this, 1.04 bcm/a has been booked for delivery to Italy and 0.16 bcm/a for Albania.
Studies on the feasibility of transporting hydrogen
He believes that TAP could be an important contributor to the EU’s decarbonisation objectives - by potentially transporting hydrogen in blend.
“TAP’s ambition is to enable the transportation of hydrogen blended with natural gas, and we are currently assessing the technical feasibility of this. A roadmap has been defined to guide our medium- to long-term readiness for hydrogen transport. An initial hydrogen readiness study completed in 2021 confirmed TAP’s potential in this area. TAP is now conducting material tests in an international laboratory, with the first results - received late last year - currently under assessment. The next phase of testing is already under way, and results are expected within this year,” said Heydarov.
He noted that in parallel, the suitability of TAP’s above-ground installations for hydrogen transport is being evaluated through a dedicated gap analysis. “Once these assessments are completed, the company will have a clearer understanding of its hydrogen readiness, including any potential retrofit plans aligned with defined blending targets”.
Possible pilot projects to carry hydrogen or hydrogen-derived carriers through TAP corridors
Heydarov pointed out that TAP is working closely with all shareholders, key vendors, and the wider industry on this.
“Any potential investment in facility upgrades and the percentage of hydrogen to be transported will likely be developed gradually, in line with hydrogen market maturity and evolving regulatory frameworks. We should probably avoid now making any forecasts which are not based on thorough assessments of the study results. Too optimistic conclusions made 2-3 years ago by different industry institutions and practitioners are now replaced by the pragmatic approach based on overwhelming analysis of all factors around that matter.”
Emissions reductions over past five years
Chairman of TAP’s Board of Directors said TAP operates in the European regulatory framework.
“We are fully compliant with the EU policy of accelerating the transition to a low-carbon energy system. And the cornerstone of that policy is the EU Emissions Trading System which gradually drives higher carbon prices. As part of TAP’s commitment to decarbonisation, the company is dedicated to making its operations climate neutral by 2050. It focuses on initiatives with the highest impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the short, medium, and long term, while continuously enhancing energy efficiency measures,” he said.
Heydarov noted that TAP’s 2022–2025 Carbon Management Plan identifies more than 25 initiatives designed to achieve these targets: “They focus on reducing direct CO₂ emissions through energy efficiency measures — such as optimisation of interconnection pressure and Energy Efficiency Audits — as well as electrification studies, the promotion of hydrogen and biomethane use, and the implementation of a Methane Emissions Reduction Plan, including LDAR campaigns and repair programmes aiming to achieve Gold Standard under the OGMP 2.0 framework.”
Based on studies, over 90% of TAP’s CO₂ emissions originate from the operation of gas-powered compressors, he said, adding that in this context, TAP is developing conceptual designs for future expansion scenarios, where new compressor units could be electrically driven — an important step in the long-term energy transition roadmap.
“The company is well on track to meet its near-term goals. In 2024 alone, TAP achieved an overall reduction of more than 21% in total GHG emissions and around 55% in methane emissions compared to the annual forecast, and an 81% reduction in fugitive emissions versus the 2021 LDAR baseline,” said Heydarov.
TAP’s its role in Europe's energy transition
He pointed out that TAP sees its role in Europe’s energy transition as serving both present and future needs - acting as a backbone for lower-carbon gas today and as a potential corridor for renewable gases tomorrow including biomethane.
“Natural gas remains a key enabler of the energy transition. While renewables are growing, the shift to a fully decarbonised system cannot happen overnight. Europe still needs secure, affordable, and reliable energy to power its economies and households. In this context, gas plays an essential role - offering flexibility and stability to an energy system increasingly dependent on intermittent renewables, and enabling the gradual phase-out of more polluting fuels such as coal and lignite, which still dominate power generation in parts of South-East Europe and the Western Balkans. With emerging technologies such as carbon capture, gas can further contribute to emission reductions in line with EU climate goals.
However, our contribution to the efficient progress in ensuring a sustainable way of delivering transportation services in Europe is not limited to delivering the H2 blend only. We recognize the growing role of biomethane in the energy mix and explore the feasibilities to be a reliant partner in this field. In parallel, we undertake serious measures aimed at electrifying our compressor stations both in case of future expansions or replacing existing machines now in operation. This strategy will significantly cut direct CO2 emissions and in case the energy for our compressors is sourced from renewable infrastructure it will end up by lowering both Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions,” he explained.
At the same time, as Heydarov said, TAP is looking into the future.
“The pipeline’s design and ongoing technical assessments aim to ensure that it can accommodate the transport of renewable gases in blend. This adaptability means that TAP is not only contributing to Europe’s decarbonisation and energy security today but also helping lay the foundations for tomorrow’s carbon-neutral energy system. A long challenging journey to that goal is ahead and our confidence to reach it is based on our best-in-class professional team and operational excellence!” he concluded.