Europe > Southern Europe > Albania > TAP starts construction of access roads, bridges in Albania

Albania: TAP starts construction of access roads, bridges in Albania

2015/07/09

The Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG has today announced the start of construction and rehabilitation work on access roads and bridges along the pipeline’s route in Albania.

The occasion was marked by an inauguration ceremony near the town of Çorovoda, attended by the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, Minister of Energy and Industry Damian Gjiknuri, and TAP Managing Director Ian Bradshaw.

Speaking to an audience that included foreign diplomats, members of the Albanian parliament, representatives of local authorities and other key stakeholders, Prime Minister Rama and Minister Gjiknuri emphasised the importance of the project to Albania.

As one of the major foreign investments in the country, TAP will have a positive impact on the country’s energy sector and will help encourage other foreign investments, they said.

TAP Managing Director Ian Bradshaw said TAP aims to build a modern pipeline that will safely deliver Caspian gas to Europe in early 2020. “The construction of access roads and bridges in Albania is critical to our project’s evolution. We are committed to zero harm to affected communities and minimum impact to the environment with safety remaining one of our highest priorities. This is an significant step in realising that commitment.”

He added: “The rehabilitated roads and bridges will contribute not only to the modernisation of the transport infrastructure but as well to transport safety. They will boost access to markets and services, thus contributing to the long-term economic increase of a lot of Albanian regions.”

TAP will construct and rehabilitate approximately 100 kilometres of road along the pipeline’s route, inclunding Vishocicë, Vithkuq and Shtyllë in the Korça region; Potom, Çorovodë, Kakrukë, Therepelë, Vendreshë in the Berati region; and Topoje in the Fier region.

As well, it will build three new bridges and rehabilitate additional than 40 existing bridges in the regions of Korçë, Berat and Fier.

The work is expected to be completed during 2016, while the major construction of the pipeline will start in summer 2016.

TAP will transport natural gas from the giant Shah Deniz II field in Azerbaijan to Europe. The approximately 870 km long pipeline will connect with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Turkish-Greek border at Kipoi, cross Greece and Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Southern Italy.

TAP’s routing can facilitate gas supply to several South Eastern European nations, inclunding Bulgaria, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and others. TAP’s landfall in Italy provides multiple opportunities for further transport of Caspian natural gas to some of the major European markets such as Germany, France, the UK, Switzerland and Austria.

TAP’s shareholding is comprised of BP (20%), SOCAR (20%), Statoil (20%), Fluxys (19%), Enagás (16%) and Axpo (5%).

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