BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 3. The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) has become close to full utilization, Luca Schieppati, TAP managing director, said in an exclusive interview with TurkicWorld.

He noted that in the first five months of 2023, TAP transported more than 4.5 billion cubic meters of gas.

"TAP’s current long-term capacity (approximately 10bcm/a) has already been allocated to the Shah Deniz shippers, in line with the exemption decision and the gas transportation agreements signed in 2013. On top of this, TAP has set aside approximately 5 percent of the initial capacity for short-term booking. This is in addition to the already booked capacity," Luca Schieppati added.

The managing director noted that TAP offers available short-term capacity to the market, according to the ENTSOG Auction Calendar and the TAP Network Code.

"During the past year, TAP has positioned itself as a proactive operator, leveraging the operating conditions of the pipeline to maximize the capacity offered to the market, and we have developed commercial products – in line with international best practices – thus capturing all the interests of the market, increasing the use of short-term capacity. Thanks to this additional option, in 2022 TAP in fact transported almost 10 bcm to Italy, around 3 bcm more than the volumes of 2021 (over 40%). These flows have permanently placed Azerbaijan during the second half of 2022 as the second main supplier of gas to Italy, after Algeria," he explained.

Schieppati pointed out that the volumes to be transported by TAP within 2023 will depend on the market demand.

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.