Christopher E. Smith
OGJ Pipeline Editor
HOUSTON, Nov. 22 -- The Trans Adriatic Pipeline, designed to deliver natural gas from the Caspian region to Europe via Greece, Albania, and Italy, has begun its route refinement study in Greece in preparation of the environmental and social impact assessment required by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
A team of 28 experts—from TAP, E.On Ruhrgas, and national and international consultants—will take 3 months examining proposed TAP routing and possible alternatives in Greece, surveying various 2-km wide corridors along the 500-km TAP route to determine the pipeline’s optimal path. TAP will also gather input from national and regional administrations, and local communities, businesses, and interest groups.
Initial route refinement will take place Nov. 22-27, with a second phase planned for early-2011. TAP has already completed its routing optimization study in Albania, and is well advanced in Italy.
TAP shareholders are Statoil, EGL, and E.On Ruhrgas. The shareholders have also proposed an underground storage option in Albania and the possibility of reverse flow to be initiated in the event of an emergency.
Greece and Italy are also involved in the Interconnection Turkey-Greece-Italy gas line, similarly designed to transport Caspian gas to Southern Europe, reducing dependence on Russia as the region’s main gas supplier (OGJ Online, June 21, 2010).
Contact Christopher E. Smith at [email protected].
Map from Canada Energy Regulator.
