(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 19. Following TAP's 2021 Market Test, the pipeline's long-term capacity will be expanded by 1.2 bcm/a from 2026. Of this, 1.04 bcm/a has been booked for delivery to Italy and 0.16 bcm/a for Albania, Murad Heydarov, Chairman of TAP's Board of Directors, said in an exclusive interview with Trend, as TAP marked 5 years since the start of commercial operation on November 15.

Heydarov noted that TAP's long-term capacity, which currently stands at 10 bcm per year (bcm/a), can be expanded in incremental steps to reach over 20 bcm/a.

“The expansion capacity is offered to the market through regulated procedures, called Market Tests, launched every two years. In line with the commercial commitments taken in the 2021 Market Test, TAP has completed the project works in Kipoi compressor station in Greece related to the first level of expansion. This will make available an additional 1.2 bcm/a of long-term incremental capacity from January 1, 2026.

The expansion works, which commenced in January 2024, have been completed safely, ahead of schedule and on budget without interruption to ongoing gas flows - reflecting TAP's commitment to operational excellence. To make this expansion possible, a new 15 MW compressor unit was installed at the Kipoi compressor station near the Greek–Türkiye border,” he explained.

On November 15, 2020, four and a half years after the inauguration of construction works, the 878-km gas transportation system crossing Greece, Albania, the Adriatic Sea and Italy, began commercial operations. On December 31, 2020 TAP started transporting first gas. TAP's annual capacity is 10 billion cubic meters with the possibility of expansion to 20 billion cubic meters.

The increase of TAP supplies by an additional 1.2 billion cubic meters by 2026 was approved in January 2024.

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