US, EU Support Southern Gas Corridor

US-EU Energy Council reiterated its strong support for the opening of the Southern Gas Corridor, including the construction of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), said in a statement of the US-EU Energy Council.

Council underscored the importance of the Greece-Bulgaria Interconnector and the construction of liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, in Croatia, as well as in Greece if there is market demand, said in a statement.

Today the Southern Gas Corridor is among the European Union's priority energy projects, which aims at the diversification of the EU gas supply sources and routes. The project envisages transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian Sea region to Europe through Georgia and Turkey.

At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects.

As part of the Stage 2 of the Shah Deniz development, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).

TAP project envisages transportation of gas from the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz gas and condensate field to the EU countries.

The 870-kilometer pipeline will be connected to the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) on the Turkish-Greek border, run through Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Italy's south.

TAP's initial capacity will be 10 billion cubic meters of gas a year, expandable to 20 billion cubic meters.

The construction of TAP will start in May 2016. (Cihan/Trend Az)