The Trans Adriatic Pipeline consortium started consultations with Albanian local communities in order to explain the Environmental Impact Assessment result. Italian Government confirms the interest in a project which will made Italy the main Azeri gas' hub in Europe
A 520 kilometers length pipeline to deliver 21 bcd of gas from Azerbaijan to Europe and decrease EU dependence on Russian gas supplies.
On Wednesday 11/22 the Trans Adriatic Pipeline - TAP - consortium started a consultation program with Albanian local communities, in order to explain the results of a Environmental Impact Assessment in Albania's land.
The EIA concerns not only the consequences TAP realization will have for the environment, but also in cultural and socio-economical domains.
According to TAP manager of Albania Albert Haak, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline's consortium is going to establish a direct relationship with local communities, in order to guarantee transparency in the pipeline's realization.
In addition to Albania, also Italy is acting as a protagonist in TAP realization. As the Down Jones Newswires, Italian Vice-Ministry of Economical Development Claudio De Vincenti sentenced second energetic Italian company Enel is interested in taking stakes in the Trans Adriatic Pipeline.
De Vincenti's statement confirms the official Italian Government position. Last 9/27, Italy, Albania and Greece signed a official political support's document of TAP in New York.
The Trans Adriatic Pipeline has been planed to carry in Europe 21 bcd of Azeri gas from the border between Turkey and Greece to the Apulia region, in Italy, via Albania. TAP pertains to the Southern European Corridor: pipelines planed by the European Commission to deliver the Azeri gas and decrease EU dependence on gas supplies from Russia, which actually cover the 40% of total European gas need.
TAP shareholders are Norwegian concern Statoil, Swiss company EGL, and German company E.On. In addition to Enel, an interest on taking stakes in the Trans Atricatic Pipeline has been confirmed by British concern BP.
The BP interest in TAP is significant. The British concern is also one of the shareholders of the Trans Anatolian Pipeline - TANAP: the infrastructure which will carry the Azeri gas from the border between Turkey and Georgia to the beginning of TAP.
In addition to BP, TANAP' shareholders are Azeri concern SOCAR, Norwegian concern Statoil, Turkish companies Botas and TPAO, and French company Total.
Matteo Cazzulani
