Albania renegotiates TAP's terms: PM
The Albanian government is in talks to revise the terms of agreement for the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) that crosses its territory. It wants to bring them into line with the benefits that other countries will enjoy, according to a speech by the country's prime minister Edi Rama, as the first sections of linepipe and machinery were arriving at the dock at Durres.
Praising TAP as “one of the main engines of economic and social development of Albania,” Rama said that the advantages of this pipeline crossing Albania’s territory were "countless," considering its additional "geostrategic aspects, and the whole chain of direct and indirect benefits that come to Albania with the substantial investments,” he said.
Rama counted several economic, social and environmental positive impacts on communities along the pipeline route, but still expressed regrets that Albania’s benefits did not match those of other TAP host countries.
“We are negotiating to get a symmetrical benefit,” he said, adding that there was no reason that Greece or other countries should benefit more from the same goods and services than Albania.
According to Rama, TAP has found willingness to listen to this concern and to negotiate a symmetrical benefit for Albania. It includes special financing package available for local communities and people in Albania similar to those that TAP provides in the other countries it crosses.
Negotiations on the revised agreement are expected to end soon, prime minister said.
TAP continues to have a very good cooperation with the Albanian government, TAP's communications head, Lisa Givert, told NGE. However, she declined to disclose details of any discussions “that it may or may not be having with any of its stakeholders.”
Edi Rama made his remarks at a ceremony in the main marshalling yard of TAP in Albania in the vicinity of Durres, the port where the first steel line pipes and machinery for the construction of the Albanian section of the pipeline were being delivered.
At the moment more than half of the first phase of construction of access roads and bridges has been completed. It is expected to complete construction in Albania by the end of 2016, said Rama. The Albanian section stretches for over 215 km onshore and 37 km offshore from the border with Greece to the Adriatic coast near Fier and will cost above €60mn
Some 13,000 pipes produced by Germany’s Salzgitter Mannesmann International will be used for the Albanian section. The first pipes arrived in Albania on 5 April.
TAP is part of the Southern Gas Corridor, which stretches over 3,500 km from Azerbaijan’s giant offshore Shah Deniz II gas field to Italy.The 878-km long TAP pipeline will connect with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (Tanap) at the Turkish-Greek border at Kipoi, passing through Greece and Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before arriving on the shores of southern Italy.
TAP’s shareholding is comprised of UK’s BP, Azerbaijan’s state owned Socar, European gas grid operators Snam, Fluxys and Enagas and Swiss utility Axpo.
Azerbaijan desk