BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 10. The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) could expand its role through delivery of American LNG through Greece to Southeast Europe in the future, the U.S. Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic Kimberly Guilfoyle wrote on her X account.
“I was pleased to meet with Trans Adriatic Pipeline Managing Director Luca Schieppati and Greece Country Representative Ioannis Maris to discuss the future of TAP. TAP continues to play a key role in diversifying energy supplies for Greece - and the region - and could expand its role through the delivery of American LNG through Greece to Southeast Europe in the future,” she wrote.
The ambassador’s remarks come at the time when the Nea Mesimvria interconnection point in Greece is about to officially achieve operational bidirectionality.This will enable the point to function as both an entry and exit point, allowing natural gas to flow in both directions between the TAP system and Greece’s National Natural Gas System (NNGS) operated by DESFA.
The development will further enhance the flexibility of the existing gas network, enabling TAP to transport gas volumes from additional sources (including LNG entering Greece’s NNGS) into the European market. According to the current arrangements, which are highly regulated, there are no technical, commercial or legal obstacles preventing such flows.
In addition, Gastrade earlier this year announced that it is assessing interest for a second floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) in Thrace, targeted for operation by 2028. The project is expected to increase Greece’s LNG import and export capacity and strengthen supplies to the markets of the Vertical Gas Corridor. The design of the second FSRU could envisage an interconnection with TAP and/or Greece’s NNGS.
TAP is the European section of the Southern Gas Corridor, transporting natural gas from Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz field to European markets. The 877-kilometer pipeline runs from the Greece-Türkiye border through Greece and Albania, crosses the Adriatic Sea and reaches Italy’s southern coast. TAP currently has an initial transportation capacity of 10 bcm per year, with the potential to expand it to 20 bcm per year.
