Snam, Albania Sign Accord

Italian national gas transmission and storage operator Snam and Albgaz, its much smaller state counterpart in Albania, have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together, as Albgaz's responsibilities increase with the expected launch in 2020 of the TAP transit pipeline across the country.

The collaboration is targeting, among other things, support for Albgaz in its development of infrastructure necessary to launch the country's gas market and its implementation of best practices typical of the activities run by Snam, which announced the MoU on July 31.

Albgaz was set up in January 2017 and tasked with developing and managing gas transmission and distribution infrastructure for the Albanian market, as well as capacities for LNG and underground gas storage. It signed a similar MoU with Greek state-run gas grid Desfa April 12 in Tirana. 

Bidding for Greece's controlling stake in Desfa closes August 7, with several European gas grid operators including possibly Snam said to be involved. 

TAP (Trans-Adriatic Pipeline) meanwhile said July 25 that some 40% of the steel pipes for its overland Greek and Albanian sections are now laid. 

Snam recently launched a Global Solutions business unit, with the aim of leveraging Snam’s expertise at a global level. It operates total pipelines of 40,000 km across Europe and has 19bn m³ of storage capacity in the region; it also operates the Panigaglia LNG import terminal in Italy.

Albgaz logo (credit: the company)

Mark Smedley