A key part of the EU-backed Southern Gas Corridor (SGC), the Trans
Adriatic Pipeline, which will connect Caspian gas resources with the
European market bypassing Russia, was launched in Thessaloniki on May 17
under the auspices of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
European Commission Vice President for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič
and US Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Amos
Hochstein, who have pushed for the SGC’s realisation and lessening the
EU’s reliance on Russian gas monopoly Gazprom, also attended the
ceremony. “US Energy Envoy Hochstein in Thessaloniki at TAP pipeline
inauguration: Our commitment to this project unshakeable,” US Ambassador
to Greece David D. Pearce wrote in a tweet.
“This project keeps northern Greece high on our radar,” a former US Consul General told New Europe.
High-level officials in Thessaloniki included Georgian Prime Minister
Georgi Kvirikashvili, Azerbaijan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Yaqub
Eyyubov, Albanian Deputy Prime Minister Niko Peleshi, Turkish Energy
Minister Berat Albayrak, Italy’s Economic Development Minister Carlo
Calenda, Bulgarian Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova, as well as the
Switzerland State Secretary Federal Office of Energy Walter Steinmann.
“The beginning of construction for the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, TAP,
is taking place at a pivotal time for the Greek economy and our wider
region,” Tsipras said. “With regard to the project’s financial aspect,
ensuring Europe’s energy supply as well as diversifying its energy
sources and routes constitute the foundation stone of both our country’s
energy strategy and the overall European planning.”
The Greek premier hailed the project’s geo-strategic aspect,
stressing that it can “contribute to energy becoming a bridge of
collaboration and prosperity for everyone in our region.”
Shareholders from British Petroleum, Azerbaijan’s SOCAR, Italy’s
Snam, Belgium-based Fluxys, Spain’s Enagás and UK-based Axpo and over
300 high-level guests attended the event. The ceremony concluded with
the signing of a pipe casing.
“After winning the bid in 2013 and working diligently to prepare for
this moment, we are delighted to have started constructing the pipeline –
a strategic project for Europe transporting new sources of Caspian gas
via a new route commencing in 2020 and for years to come,” TAP Managing
Director Ian Bradshaw said. “Our commitment to this project along with
the endorsement of all parties present here today will help ensure that
we deliver gas to European markets on schedule, bringing significant
economic benefits to both our host countries and the countries where
Caspian gas will be sold. TAP will also help integrate and diversify
Europe’s energy supply, making a significant contribution to improving
its energy security.”
Greek Minister of Environment and Energy Panos Skourletis, who also
met with Šefčovič and Bradshaw, said TAP’s importance transcends
Greece’s geographical borders and the short-term timeframe. “It
constitutes a special kind of infrastructure pertaining to the energy
sector, which can support great endeavours and long-term plans. We will
continue towards that direction, in order for this type of energy
infrastructure to enable further support to everyone’s development
efforts, as well as Greece’s dynamic interaction with the other
countries of either energy flows or needs,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Šefčovič told the Greek Energy Forum in
Thessaloniki that the city “was always known as a cosmopolitan regional
hub and which is now well-positioned on the new energy map; and on a day
like today, when the city is hosting the ground-breaking inauguration
of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline. There is therefore no better setting to
discuss how we are turning the Energy Union ‘from vision to reality’”.
“A single European energy market will allow us to increase our
security of supply by allowing energy to flow freely across our
borders,” Šefčovič said. “It will allow us to better negotiate with our
external partners, given that the EU is the largest energy importer in
the world,” he said. “And it will allow us to achieve our climate
targets much more efficiently by setting common targets and negotiating
more effectively with our global partners.”
He stressed that two thirds of the EU’s natural gas and almost 90% of
the oil we use is imported from its neighbours – namely Russia, Norway
and Algeria. “Developments in Ukraine once again raise concerns about
the EU’s energy security, even if much has been done to strengthen the
security of our gas supply since previous flow disruptions in 2006 and
2009,” Šefčovič said, adding that the Security of Supply Package, which
the Commission presented three months ago, is addressing exactly this
issue.
The Security of Supply Package provided an entire range of tools for
reinforcing the EU’s energy security, for example Revision of the
Intergovernmental Agreement Decision, Liquified Natural Gas Strategy,
Security of Supply Regulation, the Commission Vice President said,
stressing that the three key messages are: Diversify, inter-connect and
innovate. “This is the context in which we are working on the
advancement of the Southern Gas Corridor, out of determination to open
the markets of South Eastern European countries to Caspian gas,” he
said.
https://www.neweurope.eu/article/thessaloniki-tsipras-launches-tap-caspian-link-europe/