TAP fails to attract binding bids for expansion
The consortium operating the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) that carries gas from Azerbaijan to southeast Europe has failed to attract any binding bids for a capacity expansion in a market test held this month, the operator told NGW on July 26.
The TAP consortium invited binding bids July 17-20 for an expansion of the pipeline's capacity from the current 10bn m3/year to 14.4bn m3/yr, 17.1bn m3/yr or potentially as high as 20bn m3/yr. This extra supply was set to come from additional development of the giant Shah Deniz field off Azerbaijan or other gas projects in the country or even from elsewhere.
"We confirm that the 2019 market test has ended and no binding bids have been submitted," TAP's commercial team told NGW in an emailed statement on July 26. However, the operator added that non-binding bids for capacity and connection requests could still be submitted until September 6.
Albania's energy ministry agreed terms with the TAP consortium earlier this month for designing and building a gas exit point at the pipeline in Fier, as part of a plan to gasify the Albanian energy system.