TAP operator begins implementing project to build gas off-take point in Albania - media
BAKU. April 20 (Interfax) - The pipeline company TAP AG, the operator of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), has begun implementing a contract for the construction of the Roskovec gas off-take point in the Albanian city of Fier.
"According to data from the Albanian Energy Regulatory Authority, TAP AG has entered a new phase of gas infrastructure development in Albania, starting the implementation of a contract for the construction of a pressure reduction and measurement station in Fier (Fier South - Roskovec). The start of construction work is scheduled for mid-2026, and the facility's commissioning and handover are expected by the end of 2027," Albanian media reported.
It is noted that Fier will become the first TAP gas off-take point for Albania's domestic market. The TAP gas pipeline transits through Albania, and the country currently has no operational gas off-take point for its domestic market.
The project is being implemented under an agreement signed in 2021 between TAP AG and the Albanian Infrastructure and Energy Ministry. The document stipulates that TAP will design and build the facility, with subsequent transfer to the Albanian state. After completion, it will pass into full ownership and management of the country.
"The gas off-take point in Fier is considered a strategic hub of the country's energy system, as it provides a direct connection of the TAP gas pipeline with Albania's future gas distribution infrastructure. It is expected to become a gas off-take point from TAP for supplies from the Caspian region, with the possibility of capacity expansion and bidirectional flow," the media said.
At the political level, the project is seen as an important step towards the country's gas infrastructure development and the diversification of energy sources. According to the authorities, the new infrastructure will increase the reliability of energy supply and strengthen Albania's role as an energy hub in the Western Balkans.
The TAP gas pipeline, with a capacity of 10 billion cubic meters per year and a length of 877 km, transports gas from the Shah Deniz field via the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) from the Turkish-Greek border through Greece and Albania, and then along the bottom of the Adriatic Sea to Southern Italy. Azerbaijan began exporting gas to Europe via TAP on December 31, 2020.
The pipeline is also connected to the Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnector, which began commercial operation in October 2022 and supplies Caspian gas to Bulgaria.
Based on the results of a market test in 2021, commitments were made to increase the capacity of the TAP gas pipeline by 1.2 bcm per year from 10 bcm by January 1, 2026. Of this amount, Italy receives 1 bcm from January 2026, and another 200 million cubic meters are intended for Albania.
