Research for hydrogen transport via TAP finishes by end of year

TAP brings natural gas to Europe from the massive Shah Deniz field in the Caspian Sea’s Azerbaijan section.

The 878-kilometer pipeline joins the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Turkish-Greek border near Kipoi, then travels through Greece, Albania, and the Adriatic Sea before arriving in Southern Italy.

Through potential interconnectors, TAP will make gas supplies to South Eastern European countries easier. Following the completion of the Interconnector Greece Bulgaria, Bulgaria will be able to cover up to 33% of its total gas consumption through TAP (IGB). TAP’s exits in Greece and Albania, as well as the landfall in Italy, allow a variety of options for transporting gas from Azerbaijan to the rest of Europe.

TAP is strategically and economically significant to Europe as a key component of the Southern Gas Corridor, and it is critical in providing reliable access to a new source of natural gas. TAP contributes significantly to Europe’s energy security, diversity of supply, and decarbonization goals.

“Currently, work is underway to transport hydrogen via the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP),” Murad Heydarov, a member of the Board of Directors of the TAP consortium.

According to him, preliminary investigations are started: “Of course, we are not talking about the complete conversion of TAP to hydrogen. Here we are talking about the transportation of hydrogen mixture.”

Heydarov said that there are many uncertainties in this issue as well: “Leading transport companies are currently investigating this.”

He declined to comment on the percentage of hydrogen carried through the TAP pipeline:

“Sometimes the press writes that it is possible to transport 20% of the hydrogen mixture by the pipelines without any additional investment. Leading European transport companies are cautious in their forecasts, saying that these volumes will be around 2%. For the time being, no one has accurate information about this, and researches are continuing.”

Heydarov noted that there are many complex problems in this issue: “There are technological, operational, commercial, and procedural factors. Like the other founders of the pipeline, TAP is also investigating it separately, and the results of the preliminary study will be known by the end of the year.”