The Trans Adriatic Pipeline in the time of COVID19

TAP

Rome [ENA] Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP; Albanian: Gazsjellësi Trans-Adriatik, Azerbaijani: Trans Adriatik Boru Xətti Greek: Διαδριατικός Αγωγός Φυσικού Αερίου, Italian: Gasdotto Trans-Adriatico) is a pipeline project for the transportation of natural gas. The TAP starts from Greece via Albania and the Adriatic Sea to Italy and further to Western Europe. The pipeline is going to be supplied by natural gas from the second

stage of the Shah Deniz (Azerbaijan) gas field development in the Azerbaijani section of Caspian Sea through the South Caucasus Pipeline and the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP). Since it will enhance energy security and diversify gas supplies for several European markets, the TAP project is supported by the European institutions and seen as a "Project of Common Interest" and a part of the Southern Gas Corridor. TAP is estimated to cost around EUR 4.5 billion. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) considers a USD 1.5 billion loan. On 6 February 2018, The European Investment Bank (EIB) voted to hand out EUR 1.5 Billion, one of Europe’s largest ever loans, to one of the EU’s largest fossil fuel projects,

the Trans Adriatic Pipeline. Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG consortium expressed the commitment to contribute to improving the livelihoods and quality of life of communities along TAP’s route, across the three host countries. To that effect, Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG will provide a total of 1.5 million euros to support the fight of the health services in Greece, Albania and Italy against the COVID-19 pandemic. “The COVID-19 and its impacts are a challenging reality for all. We at TAP are closely monitoringdevelopments and doing our part to help prevent the further spread of the virus, by following the latest guidance of public health authorities and implementing a wide range of measures.

At the same time, we arealso trying to support the needs of our host communities,” TAP Managing Director Luca Schieppati declared. “TAP has been working closely with health authorities in all our host countries, in order to support relief efforts. We are humbled to play a small part and assist in the fight against COVID-19, by providing, with the full support of our shareholders, 1.5 million euros; 500,000 euros for each host country. This amount will support the supply of special hospital equipment, personal protective equipment and medicines, according to the needs of health authorities,” Schieppati added. The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) was 93,5 percent completed at the end of February 2020.

TAP is currently moving further into the project construction phase. Every day hundreds of meters of TAP’s Right of Way (ROW) are cleared, strung, welded, lowered into the trenches and backfilled, in line with the project construction steps and schedule. More than 99 percent of trenching was completed along the Trans Adriatic Pipeline’s (TAP) route, TAP AGconsortium earlier reported. TAP’s first offshore pipelines (7km) in Albania were successfully installed and backfilled. This is part of the 105 km section across the Adriatic Sea that will link the gas pipeline to Italy’s transmission network. The pipes will be laid on the Adriatic seabed: 37 km in Albanian territorial waters, 25 km in Italian territorial waters;

and 43 km in international waters. 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%).