TAP to construct first gas exit point in Albania

On 6 July 2021, Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) AG, the Albanian Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy and Albgaz Sh.a. signed a Cooperation and Handover Agreement on the Fier South Facility. TAP will design, procure and construct the Fier gas exit point, a multimillion Euro investment in the country, Report informs, citing TAP.

According to the agreement, once the construction of the Fier South Facility is complete, the exit point will be handed over to the Albanian State and will be fully owned, managed, and operated by the government of Albania.

The new facility is a significant milestone for Albania’s gasification, as it will enable an interconnection point between the TAP transportation system and future gas infrastructure in Albania.

The new gas exit point in Fier will a provide strategic access point for Albania and the Western Balkans to gas reserves in the Caspian region. It will be constructed outside of TAP’s compressor station in Fier and will have expandable capacity and the possibility for bidirectional flow. The gas exit point constructed by TAP will also include pressure reduction and fiscal metering facilities.

The Fier gas exit point reinforces the role of TAP in the Western Balkans area, not only as a reliable Transmission System Operator (TSO) but also as an active partner in Europe’s energy transition.

TAP transports natural gas from the giant Shah Deniz field in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea to Europe. The 878 km long pipeline connects with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Turkish-Greek border in Kipoi, crosses Greece and Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Southern Italy.

TAP will facilitate gas supplies to South Eastern European countries through prospective interconnectors. In particular, Bulgaria will be able to cover up to 33% of its total gas demand through TAP after the completion of the Interconnector Greece Bulgaria (IGB). TAP’s exits in Greece and Albania together with the landfall in Italy provide multiple opportunities for further transport of gas from Azerbaijan to the wider European markets.

As a key part of the Southern Gas Corridor, TAP is strategically and economically important to Europe and essential in providing reliable access to a new source of natural gas. TAP plays a significant role in boosting Europe’s energy security, supply diversification, as well as decarbonization objectives.