By Nuran Erkul Kaya
ANKARA (AA) - The 1,850 kilometers-long Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP) and the 878 kilometers-long Trans Adriatic Pipeline project (TAP) were interlinked at the Maritsa River located on the Turkey-Greece border, a statement from the TANAP company said Wednesday.
TANAP, the biggest section of the Southern Gas Corridor delivering Shah Deniz 2 gas from Azerbaijan to Turkey and onto Europe through TAP, brought its first gas to Turkey on July 1, 2018.
The 16 billion cubic meter capacity pipeline will deliver 6 billion cubic meters of gas to Turkey per year while the remaining 10 billion cubic meters is destined for European markets via the TAP.
Both pipelines were welded on the Turkey-Greece border under the supervision of the project's management.
The TAP will transverse Greece, Albania, and the Adriatic Sea to reach Italy.
The pipeline is expected to be ready to deliver its first gas to the European markets by mid-2020.