The construction of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) will create a new landscape in Europe’s energy security and the political stability and peace in the wider region and, by opening the so-called “Southern Gas Corridor”, will bring natural gas to Europe’s energy markets from the huge natural gas field at Shah Deniz in the Caspian Sea, starting from 2020, according to representatives from nine countries participating in the ceremony inaugurating construction of the pipeline on Tuesday.
During the ceremony, Greek and foreign officials discussed how the interconnecting pipelines that will link with TAP and TANAP (Trans-Anatolian Pipeline) in the following years - such as the IGB (Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria) in Bulgaria and the Ionian Adriatic Pipeline (IAP) - will extend further the dynamic of the energy networks, unlocking new power resources for Europe.
Speaking at the event, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili noted that by 2019 the quantities of transferred natural gas exported by the wider region will increase significantly. “TAP will facilitate the connection of the [energy] system with other regions, ensuring an opening to new markets … The Southern Gas Corridor may also extend to reach other countries, from where gas could come to Europe, like Turkmenistan,” he said.
ANA-MPA