The Trans
Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project company said on Tuesday it has selected a joint
venture formed by Albania's Gener 2 and Italy's Sicilsaldo for the construction
and rehabilitation of access roads and bridges in Albania.
The contract
comprises construction and rehabilitation of over 100 kilometres of road along
the pipeline’s route in Vishocice, Trestenik, Vithkuq and Shtyllas in the Korca
region, Corovode, Kakruke as well as in the surroundings of Potom in the Berati
region and Seman and Topoje in the Fier region and construction of two new
bridges and rehabilitation of approximately 50 existing bridges in the regions
of Korca, Berat and Fier, TAP said in a press release.
Works on the
contract are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2015, TAP
said.
The construction of the access roads and bridges is a crucial step
in the preparations for pipeline construction, to begin in 2016, the statement
added.
TAP will transport natural gas from the giant Shah Deniz II field
in Azerbaijan to Europe. The approximately 870 km long pipeline will connect
with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline near the Turkish-Greek border at Kipoi, cross
Greece and Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Southern
Italy.
TAP’s shareholding is comprised of BP (20%), SOCAR (20%), Statoil
(20%), Fluxys (19%), Enagas (16%) and Axpo (5%).