TAP Building Work to Start in March

Azerbaijan's energy minister Natig Aliev said on February 26 that the construction of Trans Adriatic Pipeline would start next month.

TAP has issued two new invitations to tender, the official website of TAP reported on January 29. According to the report, the first tender is for the engineering, procurement and installation of supervisory control and data acquisition, telecommunications and security systems. The second is also for the supply and delivery of some 1,550 km fibre-optic cable.

Tanap, the South Caucasus Pipeline and TAP form the elements of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC), to transport Azerbaijan's gas to Turkey (6bn m³/yr) and Europe (10bn m³/yr) where it will compete for market share with Russian pipeline gas and LNG.

In early January,Vagif Aliev, the general manager of investments at state Socar, said that Tanap was progressing on schedule. He said the current route from the Georgia-Turkey border to Eskishehir, 1,350 km in length, was being constructed and that "all preparation activities are completed and the practical phase has started… Of the 850 km of pipes produced, 600 km were tested and delivered to contractors to be laid."

Iran desk