The consortium for the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP), which will ship Caspian natural gas from the Shah Deniz-2 field in Azerbaijan to Turkey's western border, has chosen a joint venture of Turkey's Limak and Indian Punj-Lloyd to construct a 459-kilometre section of the pipeline. The total length of the pipeline is 1,800 km.
According to a statement from TANAP, the joint venture will build the 48-inch Lot-4 line. It will start from Eskisehir, on Turkey’s western border, and at the Ipsala on the Turkish-Greek border.
Eleven firms were invited for the tender on 8 June 2015. The contracts with the winning joint venture were signed last week.
In December 2014, it was announced that Fernas Insaat, Sicim-Yuksel-Akkord and Tekfen Holding had secured contracts to build the onshore 56-inch line that will start from Georgia-Turkey border and run westward to the Turkish Eskishehir town. The length of that line is 1,337 km.
The initial capacity of TANAP is expected to reach 16 bn m3 of gas per year. Around six bn m3 gas will be delivered to Turkey, and the remaining volume will be supplied to Europe. The capacity of the pipeline could potentially be increased to 31 bn m3 in the future.
Gas supply to Turkey is expected to begin in 2018. First gas is expected to reach Europe in early 2020 follow the construction of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which will connect to TANAP.
The total cost of the TANAP project is estimated at $10 to $11 bn.
Murat Basboga
SOURCE
