The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) taking gas from Azerbaijan to Europe will pump the first gas into Italy at the start of 2020 despite local protests against the 4.5 billion euro ($5.3 billion) project, the TAP president told Reuters.
“We are on track to deliver the gas in the first quarter of 2020,” Walter Peeraer said in an interview.
TAP, the end piece of the $40 billion Southern Gas Corridor, is slated to bring up to 10 billion cubic metres of gas from the giant Azerbaijani Shah Deniz II field into the small Italian seaside town of San Foca in the southern Apulia region by 2020.
The 870-km pipeline will link the Shah Deniz II field with Italy, crossing Georgia, Turkey, Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea. It is the largest attempt so far to bring new supply sources to European consumers.
TAP shareholders include Azerbaijan energy group Socar, oil major BP and Italian gas group Snam.
Peeraer said capacity on the TAP pipeline would be expanded when enough customers expressed interest but added there had been no discussions yet.
“It is therefore premature to discuss if Gazprom might take capacity,” he said.
Earlier this year Gazprom’s deputy head Alexander Medvedev said the company was considering pumping gas through the link.
Peeraer said talks with the European Investment Bank on funding for TAP were ongoing, adding he expected a decision in February.
Reports have said the EIB could sign off on a loan of 1.5 billion euros for TAP developers at its board’s meeting in February next year.
