TAP launched a new market test to allow natural gas shippers to express interest, and in a later phase, secure access to new, long-term capacity in TAP, thereby enabling the future expansion of the pipeline capacity.
The market test will be conducted in two main phases: a non-binding phase, starting on 12 July 2021, followed by a binding phase, expected to start earliest in the summer of 2022.
Luca Schieppati, TAP’s Managing Director, said: “Approximately six months since gas flows via TAP began, more than 3 billion cubic meters of gas have been transported to Europe. While the pipeline’s current capacity is approximately 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually, TAP can expand in stages, up to double its initial capacity. This means that additional gas resources can reach European markets, supporting the transition to a cleaner energy mix, especially in South Eastern Europe.”
Marija Savova, Head of Commercial for TAP, added: “The 2021 market test provides an opportunity for shippers to express interest in future capacity as part of an expansion of TAP. We also offer the possibility to request new exit points along TAP’s route. We look forward to receiving non-binding interest until 6 September 2021. By then, TAP will have published the outcome of the binding phase of the 2019 market test.”
The market test is conducted under the rules and procedures specified in the Guidelines for the 2021 Market Test of Trans Adriatic Pipeline, approved by the National Regulatory Authorities of Greece, Italy and Albania.
