TAPI gasline project enters implementation phase

The multibillion dollars Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan and India (TAPI) gas pipeline project entered into its implementation phase on Friday. The pipeline would pass through Afghanistan to provide gas to three energy-starved countries -Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The inaugural ceremony of launching of Front and Engineering Design (FEED) was held here. Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, TAPI Company''s chairman Muhummet Murat Amanov, Economic Adviser to Afghanistan President Ajmal Ahmadi and ISGS managing director Mobin Saulat spoke at the inaugural ceremony.
Economic Adviser to Afghan president, Ajmal Ahmadi said that his country was in the process of implementing different projects, like Casa Power Import project and Chahbhar Port project, for regional connectivity. He said that Central Asia is a hub of energy and TAPI is a clear solution to energy needs.
In his address, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that ground work has been launched on the project which was conceived 22 years back. This project, he added, would meet major energy needs of Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. He said that Pakistan had started import of LNG two years back, but it is meeting small part of the country''s total energy requirements.
"We are optimistic that TAPI pipeline project would meet the demand of the country to a great extent and Pakistan would be surplus in power and gas after completion of this project in 2020," he said, adding that Pakistan will receive 1.3 billion cubic feet per day gas under this project.
Chairman TAPI Company, Muhummet Murat Amanov, said that work on the project has been done as gas sales and investment agreements had already been signed. Several offers from financial institutions and private parties were received to fund this project. He disclosed that work on gas field has begun and an agreement has been signed with Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to provide financing for the project. He said that TAPI project has entered into phase of development activities this year and major decisions regarding environmental activities have been taken.
Managing Director (MD) ISGS Mobin Saulat said that gas pipeline project would be beneficial to all. Work on FEED has been launched in Pakistan to enter into construction phase, he added. The representative of German Firm ILF Stefaw said that the ILF would conduct route survey to assess the cost estimates.