Why Europe needs gas from TAP

Baku, Azerbaijan, July 5 By Leman Zeynalova – Trend: Natural gas provided and facilitated by the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) will contribute to the decarbonization of economies, particularly in South East Europe and the Western Balkans where the energy sector is overly reliant on the use of heavy fossil fuels, coal and lignite for power generation, TAP Head of Communications Lisa Givert told Trend. Demand for gas is expected to increase as it replaces fuels such as coal and wood commonly used in the region, she added. "TAP is a project of strategic importance and is supported at the highest levels by the European Commission and the governments of Greece, Albania and Italy. TAP is an EU Project of Common Interest (PCI), the top priority of the Central East South Europe Gas Connectivity High Level Group (CESEC), as well as a Project of Energy Community Interest (PECI)," said Givert. She pointed out that Europe needs new sources of natural gas to meet its long-term demand, fuel economic recovery and diversify energy supply. "According to the European Commission’s strategy, each member state should have access to at least three different sources of supply. In this regard, the resources from the Caspian region are the next great opportunity for the continent," said Givert. She noted that Gas – as the cleanest fossil fuels – will continue to play a key role in the energy mix for decades to come. TAP is a part of the Southern Gas Corridor, which is one of the priority energy projects for the European Union. The project envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz Stage 2 to the EU countries. The pipeline will connect to the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) on the Turkish-Greek border, run through Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Italy’s south. TAP will be 878 kilometers in length (Greece 550 kilometers, Albania 215 kilometers, Adriatic Sea 105 kilometers, and Italy 8 kilometers). TAP’s shareholding is comprised of BP (20 percent), SOCAR (20 percent), Snam S.p.A. (20 percent), Fluxys (19 percent), Enagás (16 percent) and Axpo (5 percent). --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn