The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) has submitted a preliminary environmental impact assessment to the Greek Ministry of Environment. This application is an addition to the scoping documents that TAP submitted earlier this year in preparation for its full environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA). TAP has also decided to carry out its impact assessment in accordance with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s more-stringent environmental guidelines, in addition to meeting all Greek requirements.
The preliminary EIA gives further detail on TAP’s routing, as well as evaluating alternative routes analyzed by the TAP team, including more information, for example, on modeling of the preliminary air emissions and on the previously undeveloped sections along the pipeline route.
TAP began its ESIA process in Italy earlier this year (OGJ Online, May 16, 2011). The company anticipates submitting the full ESIA to Italian authorities in this year’s fourth quarter, with official approval anticipated for fourth-quarter 2012.
TAP will extend roughly 800 km, beginning near the Greek-Turkish border (Komotini), crossing Albania and the Adriatic Sea, and connecting with the Italian natural gas distribution system near San Foca, Italy, at a capacity of up to 20 billion cu m/year of natural gas. TAP says the pipeline will be operational in time for first gas from Shah Deniz II in 2017.
Contact Christopher E. Smith at [email protected].
