Macedonia-Greece pipeline to enable gas supply via TAP (exclusive)

The interconnecting gas corridor between Macedonia and Greece will use the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) for supply of natural gas from Azerbaijan, CEO of Macedonian Energy Resources Skopje company Krste Miladinov told Trend.

TAP project envisages transportation of gas from the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz gas and condensate field to the EU countries.

The 870-kilometer pipeline will be connected to the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) on the Turkish-Greek border, run through Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Italy's south.

On Oct.14, Macedonian Energy Resources (MER) and DESFA, the natural gas transmission system operator in Greece, signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of a 160-kilometer-long gas interconnecting pipeline.

"Тhe signing of the memorandum of understanding is primarily in line with the realization of the project for construction of interconnection for transmission of natural gas that should connect the national gas pipeline systems of Macedonia and Greece," said Miladinov.

The construction of this gas interconnection will enable supply of additional quantities of natural gas, as well as possibility of using natural gas from many sources and global projects, for example natural gas from Russia and Azerbaijan, then the possibility for direct connection to the existing LNG Terminal Revithoussa in Greece and other sources that will be available through Greece, he added.

Miladinov pointed out that this project is very significant for the EU’s energy security, as it will enable transmission of additional quantities of natural gas which will be intended for the EU countries.

As for the project’s implementation process, he said that MER JSC Skopje and DESFA S.A. are in stage of preparation of the study for realization of the project.

"After the completion of the study, the realization of construction shall start. The realization is planned to begin in 2017 and finish in 2020 at the latest," he said.

By connecting MER JSC Skopje and DESFA S.A., Macedonia will be able to use all natural gas sources that are available for Greece, thus providing greater security of the country in supply of this energy fuel and of course transit of additional quantities in the EU countries, added Miladinov.