Russia's South Stream pipeline project聽does not affect the TAP,聽Trans Adriatic聽Pipeline聽or the Southern Gas Corridor project, according to a聽TAP聽official.聽
"As far as TAP and the Southern Gas Corridor are concerned, the South Stream is irrelevant," said聽Kjetil Tungland, managing director of聽Trans Adriatic聽Pipeline AG, told The Anadolu Agency on Friday in an exclusive interview.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Monday that Russia was canceling聽the South Stream gas pipeline project that聽would carry 63 billion cubic meters of natural gas聽annually聽to Europe via Bulgaria.聽
"We will progress towards completion, with or without the South Stream. It won鈥檛 affect our progress," said Tungland.聽
"We have the gas in Azerbaijan; we have the market in Europe. We are building the connection in between," he said, adding that the TAP project聽will not be changed in any shape or form.聽
- Turkey's role in TAP and Southern Gas Corridor
Tungland stressed that Turkey is a key part of the TAP project and its聽contribution聽is crucial for the Southern Gas Corridor, which will聽carry natural gas from Azerbaijan on the east, near the Caspian Sea, to Italy on the west in Europe.
Trans Anatolia Natural Gas Pipeline,聽TANAP,聽plans to transport聽natural gas from the Azerbaijani聽Shah Deniz 2 field on the Caspian Sea and other聽Azerbaijani聽fields through Turkey to Europe.聽
"TANAP鈥檚聽role in this is crucial for the whole thing to work. We are very pleased to say that our cooperation with TANAP on connecting is brilliant," Tungland added.聽
TANAP is planned to originate from the Georgia-Turkey border聽through Anatolia extending 2,000 kilometers聽to reach Greece and connect to TAP. 聽
"The whole southern gas corridor consists of many segments. The upstream production, the pipeline to Turkey, overland through the country, the connection after Turkey, and no part will聽work聽until everything is in place,"聽said Tungland.
"It鈥檚 a huge opportunity for all of聽Europe. We can cooperate both to realize the southern gas corridor聽and the opportunities that are imbedded in this project," he added.聽
TAP is the western part of the 3,500 kilometer-long Southern Gas Corridor that will聽carry natural gas from the Caspian Sea near Azerbaijan to Italy in Europe.聽
TAP will connect with TANAP聽on the east at the Greek-Turkish border and will cross to northern Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea to connect with the聽Italian natural gas network at聽southern Italy, stretching 870 kilometers.聽
"TAP will have extra capacity to ship more gas from the system.聽There are reserves all over the Caspian聽region聽and聽the Middle East, and we have spare capacity," Tungland said.
"Every company or project that can offer gas will be welcomed in our system. Apart from gas from countries that are under sanctions. We cannot, at the moment, talk to any producer in Iran, because they are under sanctions," he added.
TAP's initial capacity will be 10 billion cubic meters,聽bcm,聽of gas per year, and with聽the addition of two extra compressor stations, the capacity could double to 20 bcm in the future聽to make room for聽additional supplies to come from the Caspian region, according to the TAP website.聽
"If you look at regulations in Europe, half of the capacity that we can have is reserved for Azerbaijani gas, which means 10 bcm," said Tungland, and added that the regulation stipulates that TAP is聽free to offer聽the remaining half to聽other companies.聽
The project, which has planned construction at the beginning of 2016,聽involves global energy companies -聽the Azeri SOCAR, Norway's Statoil, British Petroleum, Fluxes,聽Engages and Apo.
By Ovunc Kutlu and E. Gurkan Abay
Anadolu Agency
ovunc.kutlu@aa.com.tr
gurkan.abay@aa.com.tr