Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Turkish foreign policy head said Trans Anatolian Gas Pipeline project is a priority for his country.

Mevlut Cavushoglu said the TANAP project is also important for Azerbaijan, Georgia and European countries, AzerTag news agency reported.

He added that gas supplies to Europe will be ensured after the implementation of the project for construction of the Trans Adriatic pipeline (TAP).

The TANAP project envisages gas transportation from Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz field to Europe through Turkey.

The initial capacity of TANAP is expected to reach 16 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Around six billion cubic meters of gas will be delivered to Turkey, and the remaining volume will be supplied to Europe.

The gas will go to Turkey in 2018, and after the construction of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) the gas will reach Europe around in early 2020. It is planned to commission TANAP in 2018. The project’s cost is estimated at $10-11 billion.

Contracts for the supply of pipes for the construction of TANAP were signed in Turkey’s Ankara city on last October with six Turkish and one Chinese company.

Turkey’s Mannesmann-Noksel-Erciyas and Umran-Emek consortiums, Toscelik Profil ve Sac Endustrisi, as well as a Chinese contractor Baosteel Europe won the tender for the supply of pipes for the TANAP project.

All the companies that will participate in the construction and supply of the TANAP project in Turkey are exempt from VAT.