Azerbaijani gas reaches Albania as TAP project moves nearer to EU deliveries

The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project—the last pipeline link required for Azerbaijan to meet its ambition of exporting natural gas to the European Union—has started introducing its first gas into the Albanian section of the pipeline, according to Azerbaijani media reports.

A four-kilometre pipeline section running from the Albanian-Greek border and the TAP metering station in Bilisht, southeastern Albania, received the gas on May 20, according to Azertac.

The €4.5bn project will enable gas flows to reach southern Italy via a route that stretches from the Turkish border, across Greece and Albania and the Adriatic Sea.

Prior to that, gas from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz II development in the Caspian Sea is to flow through Southern Gas Corridor (SCG) pipelines to Turkey via Georgia.

The latest project update from TAP is that gas from Azerbaijan should reach Italy via its pipeline before the end of this year.

TAP’s shareholders are BP (20%), Socar (20%), Snam (20 %), Fluxys (19%), Enagas (16%) and Axpo (5%).