“Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) AG successfully completed the 105 km long offshore section of the pipeline across the Adriatic Sea,” the TAP AG consortium said.
“This milestone includes several deliverables, such as the offshore installation of 36-inch pipes by Castoro Sei, Saipem’s semi-submersible pipelaying vessel, the above-water-tie-in with the onshore infrastructure in Albanian waters, as well as hydrotesting the asset to ensure it is safe and ready for operations,” the company said.
“Activities to connect the Italian and Albanian coasts began in mid-January 2020, with pipes being welded and tested on board Castoro Sei and then laid onto the bottom of the Adriatic Sea in a continuous stretch, starting from the Italian shores towards Albania.
Health and safety come first. Therefore, considering the Covid-19 pandemic, TAP and its contractor Saipem implemented a wide range of stringent measures, aiming to protect the health and safety of all people involved,” the company added.
Luca Schieppati, TAP Managing Director, said: “Completing the offshore pipeline section marks another key milestone towards the finalisation of our project. Once operational, TAP will bring a new source of natural gas to Europe, supporting decarbonisation, energy security and diversification. I am proud that these technically complex works have been conducted in line with the highest health and safety standards.”
John Haynes, TAP Project Director, added: “These are unprecedented times for all of us and the energy industry is engaged in a delicate balancing act: handling operations on the ground with extreme care, while continuing to provide the energy needed for our homes and businesses. The TAP project is now more than 95% complete and we look forward to crossing the finish line by the end of this year.”
Approximately 9,000 pipes of 36-inch diameter have been used for TAP’s offshore section, weighing circa 100,000 tonnes in total. The pipes have been laid on the Adriatic seabed: 25 km in Italian territorial waters, 43 km in international waters and 37 km in Albanian territorial waters.
The deepest point of the pipeline is approximately 810 metres beneath sea level. Saipem’s Castoro Sei laid an average of 1.2 km pipes per day, reaching a peak of 2.8 km in a single day.
The 878km long pipeline will connect with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Turkish-Greek border at Kipoi, cross northern Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Southern Italy, where it will connect to Italy’s gas transportation grid operated by SNAM Rete Gas.
The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) will transport Caspian natural gas from the Shah Deniz 2 field to Europe.
TAP is the European section of the Southern Gas Corridor, enhancing Europe’s energy security and contributing to decarbonisation and the diversification of gas supplies.
TAP’s shareholding is comprised of BP (20%), SOCAR (20%), Snam (20%), Fluxys (19%), Enagás (16%) and Axpo (5%).
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