The proposed Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) will transport
natural gas from Greece and Albania to across the Adriatic Sea
to Italy’s southern Puglia region and into Western Europe. The
pipeline will have a capacity of 10 billion cubic meters a year,
with an expandable capacity of 20 bcm/year. The onshore 48-inch
pipe will have a wall thickness of 18 millimeters, and the
36-inch offshore pipe will have a wall thickness of 25-36
millimeters. The pipeline will weigh approximately 300,000
metric tons. Two compressor stations will be constructed: one
near Thessalonkiki, Greece and another on the Albanian coast. A
third compressor station will be installed on the Greek-Albanian
border to attain the maximum throughput of 20 bcm/year. Tap will
interconnect with the existing DESFA pipeline system in Greece,
which is linked further to the East with systems in Turkey. It
will secure access to supplies it has contracted in the Caspian
Sea and Middle East gas-rich regions. The offshore pipeline will
be moored in more than