TAP Beat Nabucco on Seven out of Eight Criteria

The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project was selected to carry Azerbaijan's gas into Europe for other reasons than high gas prices in Italy and Greece, a junior minister at Italy’s Industry ministry told Reuters. 

"It was not for high gas prices in Italy and Greece," Claudio De Vincenti said in an interview. 

On the other hand, BP said the decision was taken in relation to a commercial difference between the two projects. 

The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) has emerged as a winner in a long race, primarily against the Nabucco project, in a June 28th decision by the Shah Deniz Consortium. The result surprised at least a few as numerous off-the-record estimations by stakeholders concluded that both projects would be selected, or that an eventual delay on the decision was to be expected.

De Vincenti said to Reuters that TAP beat Nabucco on seven out of eight evaluation criteria, “naming them as market opportunities, timing, scalability, management operability, funding available, project quality and transparency”.