Baku, Azerbaijan July 1
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) commenced the formal land exit process of the temporary leased land for the construction of the pipeline in June 2017, read a message on the website of TAP AG consortium.
To date, more than 420 parcels have been returned to the landowners and land exit agreements have been signed, according to the message.
The process of land exit and the return of the land to the owners commenced in Albania’s Fier immediately after construction works for some of the pipeline sections in this region were completed. Before the land was returned to the respective landowners, it was reinstated to its previous condition.
The land easement and servitude process was implemented in accordance with the international standards of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). TAP has compensated landowners and land users for leasing the land and for the crop loss for a period of two years, whereas in many cases the land has been handed over in less than one year.
Temporarily leased land for the pipeline construction corridor is approximately 8,170 hectares. A total of approximately 10,585 land plots are impacted in total in Albania.
TAP project, worth 4.5 billion euros, is a part of the Southern Gas Corridor, which is one of the priority energy projects for the European Union. The project envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz Stage 2 to the EU countries.
The pipeline will connect to the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) on the Turkish-Greek border, run through Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Italy’s south.
TAP will be 878 kilometers in length (Greece 550 kilometers, Albania 215 kilometers, Adriatic Sea 105 kilometers, and Italy 8 kilometers).
TAP’s shareholding is comprised of BP (20 percent), SOCAR (20 percent), Snam S.p.A. (20 percent), Fluxys (19 percent), Enagás (16 percent) and Axpo (5 percent).
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