BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 3. The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) met 15 percent of Italy’s gas consumption in 2022, Luca Schieppati, TAP managing director said, TurkicWorld reports.

Addressing the Sustainable Future Forum, he noted that TAP can expand its capacity in stages up to 20 billion cubic meters.

"We have already activated a first level of expansion with 1.2 billion cubic meters of additional gas available from 2026. The strategic importance of the Southern Gas Corridor and of TAP has been recognized in the REPowerEU plan which foresees the intensification of cooperation with Azerbaijan and the enhancement of TAP's capacity. With TAP we have demonstrated that strategic energy infrastructures can be built in full respect of the characteristics of the territories crossed," he said.

The managing director noted that TAP's capacity expansion can help facilitate the realization of Italy's and Europe's energy and climate ambitions, allowing it to transport new volumes of hydrogen and other renewable gases blended with natural gas.

"Since the beginning of commercial operations, TAP has transported over 25 billion cubic meyers of gas to Europe, of which over 21 billion to Italy, helping to strengthen the security of supply," Luca Schieppati added.

The Trans Adriatic Pipeline functions as a channel for transporting natural gas from the extensive Shah Deniz field situated in the Azerbaijani portion of the Caspian Sea to Europe. Extending over a distance of 878 kilometers, the pipeline connects with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the border between Turkey and Greece in Kipoi. It then passes through Greece and Albania, crosses the Adriatic Sea, and ultimately reaches the southern shores of Italy.

By establishing links with other pipelines, TAP will facilitate the provision of gas supplies to countries in Southeastern Europe. Once the Interconnector Greece Bulgaria (IGB) project is finalized, it will enable Bulgaria to fulfill up to 33% of its total gas demand through TAP. With exit points in Greece and Albania, as well as its arrival in Italy, TAP presents numerous opportunities for further transporting Azerbaijani gas to wider European markets.