Turkish Minister: TANAP construction to require revision of Southern Corridor projects’ routes and tariffs

Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan.26 / Trend A.Badalova / The construction of Azerbaijani-Turkish Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) will require revision of routes and tariffs of the Southern Gas Corridor projects (Nabucco, TAP and ITGI), Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said in interview with Reuters. "If Turkey goes ahead with the construction of TANAP, then routes and tariffs of the Nabucco, TAP and ITGI projects will need to be revised," he said. TANAP is a proposed Azerbaijan-Turkish project, which envisages a construction of pipeline from the eastern border of Turkey to the country's western border. Azerbaijan and Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the consortium that will build the gas pipeline. The construction of the Trans Anadolu gas pipeline (TANAP) is required for exporting the most part of 50 billion cubic meters of gas that Azerbaijan intends to produce by 2025. TANAP cost will be set by SOCAR and may be close to the figure of $5 billion. The initial capacity of TANAP will amount to 16 billion cubic meters per year. Yildiz said that groundbreaking on the TANAP project was projected to be at end-2013, with operation beginning in 2017 and with capacity at 30 billion cubic meters. He said that the Consortium of Azerbaijani Shah Deniz gas condensate field development will make a decision on a preferable transportation route by late March. At present, the Consortium of Shah Deniz field development considers different options for Azerbaijani gas supply to Europe. On Oct. 1, TAP, Nabucco and ITGI projects submitted their final proposals to the Azerbaijani side, which will review them in accordance with the previously announced criteria. Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at agency@trend.az