In April, the Tans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) transported 42% more natural gas than in March, the TAP AG consortium said on Twitter.
“Aggregate March nomination was estimated at 4,565 GWh compared to April’s 6,477 GWh,” the company added.
TAP has increased the natural gas transportation from Azerbaijan by 77% since April. The Kipoi point of entry between Turkey and Greece receives 26 million cubic meters of natural gas daily. Significant amounts of natural gas are delivered to Italy. Over the past week, the country imported 22 million cubic meters, while Greece imported 4 million cubic meters during this period.
A sharp increase in the supply of Azerbaijani gas to Europe may be conditioned by the fact that, unlike the North-Western European countries, Italy has begun to pump gas to storage facilities. TAP is technically capable of supplying 33 million cubic meters of gas per day.
TAP transports natural gas from the giant Shah Deniz field in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea to Europe. The 878 km long pipeline connects with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Turkish-Greek border in Kipoi, crosses Greece and Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Southern Italy.
TAP will facilitate gas supplies to South Eastern European countries through prospective interconnectors. In particular, Bulgaria will be able to cover up to 33% of its total gas demand through TAP after the completion of the Interconnector Greece Bulgaria (IGB). TAP’s exits in Greece and Albania together with the landfall in Italy provide multiple opportunities for further transport of gas from Azerbaijan to the wider European markets.
As a key part of the Southern Gas Corridor, TAP is strategically and economically important to Europe and essential in providing reliable access to a new source of natural gas. TAP plays a significant role in boosting Europe’s energy security, supply diversification, as well as decarbonization objectives.
TAP’s shareholding is comprised of bp (20%), SOCAR (20%), Snam (20%), Fluxys (19%), Enagás (16%), and Axpo (5%).
