TAP awards compressor stations contract to Italian-Greek joint venture

Baku, May 4 AZERTAC Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG (TAP) has selected a joint venture comprising Renco S.p.A (Italy) and Terna S.A. (Greece) for the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of the project’s compressor stations. In Greece, the award covers the provision of engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of one compressor station at Kipoi, near the Greek-Turkish border. The construction of the compressor stations is planned to start in the second half of 2016 and it will take approximately two years to complete. The compressor stations will be built in accordance with the highest international industry standards on health and safety, located away from highly populated areas, and causing minimum impact on the environment and local communities. Ian Bradshaw, Managing Director at TAP, said: “I would like to congratulate our successful compressor stations EPC contractors – Renco S.p.A and Terna S.A. – for their strong bid as well as thank all the companies who participated in this tender process. Renco S.p.A and Terna S.A. will be responsible for further securing of additional subcontractors to implement specific parts of the contract assignments. It is expected that this will create additional employment and economic opportunities in the regions along the TAP route.” Renco S.p.A., an Italian company founded in 1979, provides a wide variety of services including engineering and construction for energy, oil & gas and civil infrastructures sectors. TERNA was founded in 1972 and is the construction company of GEK TERNA Group, one of the leading business groups in Greece with more than 6,000 employees in 16 countries. The current construction backlog of the Group reaches €3 billion. 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 approximately in early 2020.