Project Profile
Value: US$44.62 billion
Location: From Shah Deniz II development in Azerbaijan via Greece and Albania, and across the Adriatic Sea to southern Italy, and further into Western Europe
Capacity: 10 billion cubic metres (bcm)/year
Length: 800 kilometres (Greece 478 km; Albania 204 km; offshore Adriatic Sea 105 km; Italy 5 km)
Start-up Year: early 2020
The Trans Adriatic Pipeline will transport natural gas from the giant Shah Deniz II development in Azerbaijan, taking it via Greece and Albania, and across the Adriatic Sea to southern Italy, and further into Western Europe. In doing so, TAP will open the so-called Southern Gas Corridor, enhancing Europe’s energy security by contributing to the diversification of the region’s gas supplies. The project is designed to expand transportation capacity from 10 to 20 bcm per year, depending on supply and demand.
TAP also allows for the development of natural gas storage facilities in Albania to further ensure security of supply to European markets during any operational interruptions. In 2003 the pre-feasibility study for TAP was conducted. The feasibility study for the project was concluded by EGL in March 2006, confirming technical, economic and environmental feasibility. TAP\'s extended basic engineering, including the offshore seabed survey, and preliminary impact assesment surveys were concluded by March 2007. In 2008, TAP entered the FEED stage. In 2012, TAP continues to work on engineering and planning, as well as securing a favourable regulatory framework for the pipeline project. In February 2012, TAP was selected by Shah Deniz Consortium as the priority route to Italy.
The pipeline will be ready to transport natural gas from the Caspian region, when the Phase II of Shah Deniz field in Azerbaijan starts production (estimated in 2017/2018). The TAP route will be approximately 800 kilometres in length (Approx.: Greece 478 km; Albania 204 km; offshore Adriatic Sea 105 km; Italy 5 km). TAP’s highest elevation point will be 1,800 metres in Albania’s mountains, while its lowest part offshore will be at 810 metres of depth. The onshore part of the pipeline will have a diameter of 1.2 metres, while the diameter of the offshore segment will be 1.05 metres. The thickness of the steel pipe wall will be typical 18 millimetres for the onshore part, with 25-36 millimetres for the offshore part. The pipeline\'s total weight will be approximately 300 000 metric tons, or 600 kilo per metre pipe in average.
TAP will initially have a capacity of 10 billion cubic metres (bcm)/year, providing enough energy for as many as 7 million households. Two compressor stations, one near Komotini, in Greece, and the other one on the Albanian coast near Fier, will be used to ensure gas transportation through the pipeline. The pipeline’s transport capacity can be expanded to 20 bcm/year. As the crossing of the Adriatic will not be deeper than 810 metres below sea level, TAP can use a large diameter pipeline also for the subsea section. With this choice of pipeline dimensions, all that is needed for a future expansion of capacity is to add more compression. Two additional compressor stations can be installed later (one near Thessaloniki, and the other one near the Greek-Albanian border) to attain the maximum throughput of 20 bcm/year.
Pipeline Receiving Terminal (PRT), a combined pressure reduction, metering and pigging station, will be located near Melendugno in the province of Lecce, with tie-in to the Italian grid at the boundary of the terminal. The TAP project is investigating the option of developing gas storage facilities in the Dumre region in central Albania, using underground salt formations. This area is located approximately 50 km to the south of Tirana, and 20 km to the north of the planned Trans Adriatic Pipeline route. TAP has conducted a preliminary assessment of the geological potential for the creation of underground natural gas storage in Albania. The investigations to date have indicated that the creation of salt caverns in the Dumre salt formation is technically possible. Also the size of the Dumre salt dome allows for the future development of additional salt caverns.
The Trans Adriatic Pipeline will start in Greece and continue onshore all the way to the Adriatic Sea coast, after crossing the entire territory of Albania from east to west. The offshore part of the pipeline begins near the Albanian city of Fier and crosses the Adriatic Sea to tie into Italy’s gas transportation grid operated by SNAM ReteGas. In its upstream part, TAP will interconnect with the existing DESFA pipeline system in Greece, which is linked further to the east with systems in Turkey, to secure access to the Shah Deniz natural gas field in Azerbaijan. The US$44.62 billion pipeline is expected to become operational in 2020.
Operators:
BP: 20% interest
Socar: 20% interest
Snam 20% interest (bought from Statoil, December 2015)
Enagás: 16% interest
Fluxys: 19% interest
Axpo: 5% interest
Contractors:
EGL: Feasibility study
Atlas Knowledge: Contract to deliver safety training for workers engaged on the high profile Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG (TAP) project. The deal will see a total of 11 courses delivered to almost 300 onshore personnel working on the planned construction of a pipeline to bring natural gas across Greece, Albania and Italy through the complex Southern Gas Corridor. The training, a mix of existing and fully customised courses, will include fire safety, manual handling, trip, slip and fall awareness and safe driving. Each will be delivered in line with in-country regulations and legislation. The initial contract will run until 2017.
Technip: PMC contract that will cover the onshore portion of the pipeline from Greece to Albania and in Italy. The services will include the overall project and site management, procurement and subcontracting for all the EPC packages throughout the engineering, procurement and construction phases, as well as warranty management and the project close-out. The project completion is scheduled for the first quarter of 2020. The services will be mainly performed at TAP’s headquarters in Baar, Switzerland, and Technip’s office in Rome, Italy. Other project centres will be operating in Greece, Albania and Italy.
Siemens AG: Contract for the supply of six 15-MW SGT-400-driven turbo compressor trains. Half of these items will be installed in TAP’s compressor station near Kipoi, in Greece, and the remaining half at TAP’s compressor station near Fier in Albania. The turbo compressors contract award concludes TAP’s pre-qualification process (launched in June 2014), followed by bid assessments from the shortlisted companies that met TAP’s rigorous pre-qualification criteria.
Industria Meccanica Bassi S.p.A: Two EPC contracts - first, for engineering, manufacturing and delivery of 48” and 36” piggable T-pieces and welded elbows of different characteristics and, second, scraper traps units for intelligent pigging. Piggable T-pieces will enable the connection with the block valve and compressor stations while scraper traps will facilitate the cleaning and control of the pipeline. (October 2015)
Nuova Giungas s.r.l.: Contract for the engineering, manufacturing and delivery of 48” and 36” isolating joints. These will isolate different cathodic protection systems that avoid corrosion. The award of contracts for engineering, manufacturing and delivery of fittings, isolating joints and scraper traps concludes TAP’s pre-qualification process (launched in May 2015), followed by bid assessments from the shortlisted companies that met TAP’s rigorous pre-qualification criteria. (October 2015)
Corinth Pipeworks S.A.: Contract to provide approximately 495km of 48” diameter line pipes for the Trans Adriatic Pipeline across Greece. This contract award makes up approximately 270,000 tonnes of line pipe. Corinth Pipeworks S.A. is a global supplier of high quality steel pipes for the energy and construction markets. (November 2015)
Enereco S.p.a. and Max Streicher S.p.a.: Contract for the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of the Pipeline Receiving Terminal (PRT) and a contract for the EPC of the onshore pipeline in Italy (8-kilometre, 36-inch diameter). The contract for the onshore pipeline in Italy will connect the project offshore section at the landfall with the PRT. Renco S.p.a. has been awarded the contract for the Pipeline Receiving Terminal, which is the final element connecting TAP to the Snam Rete Gas network. In addition to receiving natural gas, the PRT will also host the Supervisory Control Centre (SCC). (December 2015)
Bonatti S.p.A (Italy) and J&P AVAX S.A (Greece): EPC contract for two lots in northern Greece. The sections cover approximately 360km of pipeline, stretching between Kavala and Ieropigi (Albanian border). (March 2016)
SPIECAPAG (France): EPC contract for a 185km lot in Greece, between Kipoi and Kavala, as well as two lots in Albania (215km in total), stretching from Bilisht to Topoje. SPIECAPAG will also carry out the pipeline river crossing at the Greek-Turkish border, where TAP will be connecting to the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP). (March 2016)
Saipem: EPCI contract that involves the installation of a gas pipeline between the coastlines of Albania and Italy, across the Adriatic Sea. Specifically, the activities envisaged by the contract include marine surveys, the installation of a 36” 105 km offshore gas pipeline, the supply and installation of an offshore fiber optic cable, pre-commissioning activities and civil works at the landfalls in both Albania and Italy. (April 2016)
Salzgitter Group: Won a contract to supply a large batch of pipes in support of the construction of the offshore section of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline. (April 2016)