ADB says “first phase” of Turkmenistan’s TAPI pipeline to launch in 2021

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its “Asian Economic Integration Report 2021” report has said that the first phase of the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) natural gas pipeline project remains on track and is set for a launch in 2021.

The 1,814-kilometre TAPI pipeline is designed to run from Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh gas field to the Indian city of Fazilka via Herat and Kandahar in Afghanistan and Quetta and Multan in Pakistan.

Construction on the 816-km Afghan section of the TAPI pipeline officially began in February 2018, but nearly three years later no significant progress has been reported despite some security assurances from the Taliban. 

Moreover, the current state of the Turkmen section of the pipeline also remains shrouded in mystery.