SGC to be catalyst to many interconnector projects – BP

The Southern Gas Corridor will be the catalyst to many interconnector projects, Vice President of Communications and External Affairs at BP Emily Olson said, according to the website of Global Business Club Ltd.

Interconnectors are part of the strategic intent of this project and will open up the markets in the region, she added.

The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority energy projects for the EU. It envisages the transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian region to the European countries through Georgia and Turkey.

At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor project. Other sources can also join this project at a later stage.

As part of the Stage 2 of the Shah Deniz development, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of TANAP and TAP.

The most important thing to recognize today is that the Southern Gas Corridor is well underway in all six countries: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Greece, Albania and Italy, said Olson.

The offshore campaign and the Caspian SCP-EX, TANAP and TAP are all under development and coming together as well, which is an incredible milestone for a project of this size, she added.

"So what we really focus on is making sure that people understand this is a real project, not a ‘pipe dream’, "said Olson.

Between Azerbaijan and Georgia there are 27,000 people working on the project and this section is approximately 80 percent complete, she added.

"In TANAP, there are over 6,000 people working in Turkey,” said Olson. "Greece has also started construction and the Albanian section has been underway for more than a year now. TAP is even doing some early construction work in Italy.”