ZUG, Switzerland, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- Kjetil Tungland, managing director for the Trans-Adriatic pipeline, said he was delighted the Greek government ratified a host agreement for the project.
"This is a significant step forward in delivering a project that will have notable positive impact on Greece [and] the region, as well as European energy objectives," Tungland said in a statement Tuesday.
A BP-led consortium working in the second phase of the Shah Deniz natural gas field off the coast of Azerbaijan selected TAP as its conduit for European consumers in June. The Greek government ratified the host agreement late Monday, Tungland said.
The host agreement outlines how TAP will be operated in Greek territory. The 340-mile section through Greece is the longest for the 540-mile pipeline.
TAP will connect to a pipeline near the Turkish border with Greece and cross through the Adriatic Sea before it heads to European markets from Italy. The project will deliver more than 350 billion cubic feet of natural gas to European markets when it goes online in 2019.
Construction of the pipeline itself is slated for 2015.
