Fluxys may join TAP if selected by Shah Deniz consortium
MOSCOW. June 17 (Interfax) - European gas infrastructure group Fluxys is considering joining the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project, the two organizations said in a statement.
Fluxys began talks with TAP shareholders in 2012. Fluxys may join the project if the Shah Deniz consortium selects TAP as its route for transporting Azerbaijani gas to market. If it does, Fluxys might join the project this August. Fluxys' participation "will confirm that TAP is a wholly European project and may transport gas beyond Italy's borders: from southern to northern Italy, to Switzerland and Germany," the statement said.
Fluxys, previously the operator of trunk gas pipelines in Belgium, transformed into a European-wide operator after purchasing stakes in several pipelines that were sold off by the vertically integrated energy companies under the pressure of the European Commission, and after taking stakes in several pipeline construction projects.
Fluxys purchased gas pipelines from Eni in Switzerland and Germany and a 32% stake in the Medgaz pipeline from Algeria to Spain from Endesa and Iberdrola. Fluxys also has stakes in the new NEL pipeline, the western continuation of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, and in BBL, the pipeline from Holland to Britain.
The TAP pipeline is designed to transport natural gas produced under Phase 2 of the Shah Deniz project through Greece and Albania to Western Europe. The pipeline will have capacity to ship 10 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas a year, upgradable to 20 bcm, depending on availability of gas supplies and demand.
The current shareholders in TAP AG are Swiss Axpo (42.5%), German E.ON (15%) and Norwegian Statoil (42.5%).