The Albanian National Territorial Council (KKT) approved the compound development permit – phase 1 for the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), the TAP project company said on Tuesday.

The compound development permit - phase 1 will authorise TAP AG to start its construction activities in Albania, the company said in a press release.

This permit for the entire TAP pipeline system will be followed by a second phase, during which the compound development permit by the the country's energy ministry will be issued on an incremental basis for different sections and phases of the TAP pipeline system development in Albania.

"The construction activities will start with the upgrade and construction of access roads and bridges in Albania in 2015 and this will be followed by the pipeline laying and construction of other facilities associated with this gas transportation infrastructure," according to the press release.

TAP will transport natural gas from Shah Deniz II to Europe along an approximately 870 kilometre long pipeline that will connect with the Trans Anatolian Gas Pipeline (TANAP) near 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.

The TAP partners are: SOCAR (20%), BP (20%), Statoil (20%), Fluxys (16%), Total (10%), E.ON (9.0%) and Axpo (5.0%).

Source: SeeNews