ECONOMY
Country Manager Albania leaves TAP
Baku, October 6, AZERTAC
Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) AG announced that Shkelqim Bozgo, Country Manager for TAP AG, following nearly four years at the helm of TAP’s Albania Country Office, has left the Company today.
Luca Schieppati, Managing Director at TAP, commented: “I would like to thank Shkelqim for his great contribution to TAP during his tenure here and particularly, for building up the TAP Albania Country Office into what it is today. With more than 2,000 people currently working on the TAP project in Albania, TAP will continue to contribute to building and supporting the development of Albania’s gas market.
As we enter the final phase in the project, our priority remains to focus on preparing for commercial and operational readiness to receive first gas from Shah Deniz II in 2020. TAP Albania’s Country Office will be headed by Ulrike Andres, Commercial & External Affairs Director in the interim, until a new Country Manager has been appointed.”
TAP will transport natural gas from the giant Shah Deniz II field in Azerbaijan to Europe. The 878 km long pipeline will connect with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Turkish-Greek border at Kipoi, cross Greece and Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Southern Italy.
TAP’s routing can facilitate gas supply to several South Eastern European countries, including Bulgaria, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and others. TAP’s landfall in Italy provides multiple opportunities for further transport of Caspian natural gas to some of the largest European markets such as Germany, France, the UK, Switzerland and Austria.
TAP will promote the economic development and job creation along the pipeline route; it will be a major source of foreign direct investment and it is not dependent on grants or subsidies. With first gas sales to Georgia and Turkey targeted for late 2018, first deliveries to Europe will follow in 2020.
TAP’s shareholding is comprised of BP (20%), SOCAR (20%), Snam S.p.A. (20%), Fluxys (19%), Enagás (16%) and Axpo (5%).