TAP AG mulling gas metering station expansion in Albania - media
BAKU. Nov 11 (Interfax) - TAP AG, operator of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline, is exploring the possibility of expanding its gas metering station at Bilisht in southwest Albania near the Greek-Albanian border to increase the capacity of the TAP gas pipeline, Balkan media reported.
"In a document sent to Albanian authorities a few days ago, the company said the expansion was envisaged by the original TAP infrastructure project in Albania in 2013. The company is currently carrying out tests to determine the need for this," the report said.
The initial project called the conversion of the ACSO2 station in Bilisht, which currently operates as a gas metering station, into a compressor station equipped with five compressors, capacity of 15 MW each, to ensure the TAP gas pipeline is fully operational.
"Although the pipeline was built to transport up to 20 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year, it currently operates at 10 billion cubic meters per year. However, due to an increase in the volume of gas transported over and above this level, the ACSO2 station needs to be expanded into a fully operational compressor station," the reports say, citing TAP AG.
According to the company, the updated plan calls for replacing the gas compressor units with electric ones, which will involve building a high-voltage substation and transmission line to connect to the national grid. TAP expects that electrifying the station will meet future capacity needs while simultaneously reducing emissions, which is in line with energy transition and climate change goals.
In Albania, the pipeline route travels from the municipality of Devoll, in Korca region, to the country's southeast where there is a gas metering station at Bilisht. The pipeline arrives at the Adriatic coast 17 kilometers north-west of Fier, then crosses to Italy.
Based on the results of the 2021 market testing, TAP shareholders committed to increasing the pipeline's capacity by January 1, 2026, to 1.2 billion cubic meters per year from 10 billion cubic meters per year. Italy will receive 1 bcm of this from 2026 and Albania another 200 mcm. That was the first stage of the expansion project, which is being financed by TAP itself.
The project budget is about 132 million euros. As part of this stage, another compressor unit will be installed at the existing compressor station in Kipoi in Greece and the equipment will be modernized.
The Trans Adriatic Pipeline, the final component of the Southern Gas Corridor to transport Azerbaijani gas to Europe, went into service on November 15, 2020. The 878-kilometer pipeline runs through Greece, Albania, the Adriatic Sea and Italy.
Azerbaijan began exporting gas to Europe on December 31, 2020. According to the agreement with the EU, Azerbaijani gas supplies are expected to reach at least 20 billion cubic meters per year by 2027.
