World Bulletin/News Desk

Russia's South Stream pipeline project does not affect the TAP, Trans Adriatic Pipeline or the Southern Gas Corridor project, according to a TAP official. 

"As far as TAP and the Southern Gas Corridor are concerned, the South Stream is irrelevant," said Kjetil Tungland, managing director of Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG, told The Anadolu Agency on Friday in an exclusive interview.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Monday that Russia was canceling the South Stream gas pipeline project that would carry 63 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually to Europe via Bulgaria. 

"We will progress towards completion, with or without the South Stream. It won’t affect our progress," said Tungland. 

"We have the gas in Azerbaijan; we have the market in Europe. We are building the connection in between," he said, adding that the TAP project will not be changed in any shape or form. 

Turkey's role in TAP and Southern Gas Corridor

Tungland stressed that Turkey is a key part of the TAP project and its contribution is crucial for the Southern Gas Corridor, which will carry natural gas from Azerbaijan on the east, near the Caspian Sea, to Italy on the west in Europe.

Trans Anatolia Natural Gas Pipeline, TANAP, plans to transport natural gas from the Azerbaijani Shah Deniz 2 field on the Caspian Sea and other Azerbaijani fields through Turkey to Europe. 

"TANAP’s role in this is crucial for the whole thing to work. We are very pleased to say that our cooperation with TANAP on connecting is brilliant," Tungland added. 

TANAP is planned to originate from the Georgia-Turkey border through Anatolia extending 2,000 kilometers to reach Greece and connect to TAP.  

"The whole southern gas corridor consists of many segments. The upstream production, the pipeline to Turkey, overland through the country, the connection after Turkey, and no part will work until everything is in place," said Tungland.

"It’s a huge opportunity for all of Europe. We can cooperate both to realize the southern gas corridor and the opportunities that are imbedded in this project," he added. 

TAP is the western part of the 3,500 kilometer-long Southern Gas Corridor that will carry natural gas from the Caspian Sea near Azerbaijan to Italy in Europe. 

TAP will connect with TANAP on the east at the Greek-Turkish border and will cross to northern Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea to connect with the Italian natural gas network at southern Italy, stretching 870 kilometers. 

"TAP will have extra capacity to ship more gas from the system. There are reserves all over the Caspian region and the Middle East, and we have spare capacity," Tungland said.

"Every company or project that can offer gas will be welcomed in our system. Apart from gas from countries that are under sanctions. We cannot, at the moment, talk to any producer in Iran, because they are under sanctions," he added.

TAP's initial capacity will be 10 billion cubic meters, bcm, of gas per year, and with the addition of two extra compressor stations, the capacity could double to 20 bcm in the future to make room for additional supplies to come from the Caspian region, according to the TAP website. 

"If you look at regulations in Europe, half of the capacity that we can have is reserved for Azerbaijani gas, which means 10 bcm," said Tungland, and added that the regulation stipulates that TAP is free to offer the remaining half to other companies. 

The project, which has planned construction at the beginning of 2016, involves global energy companies - the Azeri SOCAR, Norway's Statoil, British Petroleum, Fluxes, Engages and Apo.