The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) announced today that it has commenced the
project’s formal Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) process in
Italy. The submission of its Scoping Report to the Italian authorities follows a
similar move in Albania last month.
The Scoping
Report document was presented to national, regional, provincial and municipal
authorities in Italy and is also accessible to other stakeholders and the
general public through the TAP website. The ESIA process will be conducted in
accordance with Italian legislation and will follow the best practice guidelines
laid down by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Following
extensive route refinement studies undertaken between 2009 and 2011, the
document includes a detailed description of TAP’s preferred route. Having
entered the country at the northern end of San Foca on the Adriatic coast, it
will extend 21 kilometres to the Municipality of S. Donato di Lecce to the
tie-in point with Snam Rete Gas, the Italian natural gas system operator. The
route will cross the municipalities of Melendugno, Vernole, Castri di Lecce,
Lizzanello, Cavallino and S. Donato di Lecce.
The
pipeline’s length offshore will be approximately 45 kilometres within Italian
waters from the Italian coast to the middle of the Straight of Otranto in the
Adriatic Sea, and its diameter will be 42 inches onshore and offshore.
The Scoping
Report also contains a comprehensive explanation of the possible environmental
and social impacts of the chosen route and suitable mitigation measures. In
particular, special consideration has been given to the avoidance of sensitive
natural habitats. As a direct result, TAP will avoid crossing environmentally
sensitive areas such as the sea grass meadows
Posidonia
oceanica.
During the
pre-scoping phase, TAP has consulted with a wide variety of stakeholders
including national, regional, provincial and local government authorities, local
communities, NGOs and others, to discuss the project and collect feedback on the
routing options at an early stage. Scoping Report disclosure meetings with the
same stakeholders will be organised during the next few weeks and stakeholder
consultation will be an ongoing activity throughout the duration of the project.
Submission
of the Italian Scoping Report represents the first step of the ESIA process in
Italy, which in conjunction with the Single Authorisation process, will give TAP
all the necessary construction and operating permits.
Paolo Pasteris, TAP’s
Country Manager Italy, commented: "The
scoping documentation that we have submitted reflects the preliminary
engineering work and stakeholder consultation activities undertaken in Puglia
over the last two years. This is an important step for TAP in Italy and we thank
all stakeholders for their valuable contribution. Our project is on schedule to
obtain all the necessary authorisations and be operational in time for first gas
from the Shah Deniz II development in 2017."
Martin Ferguson,
Health, Safety and Environment Director at TAP, added: "By actively
involving government and local communities in the route selection process from
the beginning of the project, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline has been able to gain
a lot of support and trust in Italy. From the earliest stages, authorities and
interested parties have been able to discuss their concerns with us, and to
provide input into our chosen route as well as mitigation and restoration of
affected areas."
Once
feedback on the Scoping Report has been received, TAP will submit the full ESIA
report to the Italian authorities in the fourth quarter of 2011. The project
anticipates receiving official approval towards the fourth quarter of 2012.