*ISLAMABAD: *Countries that are part of the $10-billionTurkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (Tapi) gas pipeline project haveapproved an acceleration plan in a bid to cut the time required forconstructing the pipeline and make it ready before the deadline, disclosedan official.
The targeted time for completing the project was 2020, but now under theacceleration plan, the participating countries will be able to lay thetransnational pipeline next year.
“Steering committee of the Tapi pipeline project has approved a plan inthis regard,” the official said.
According to him, Pakistan had proposed a new plan for executing theproject in the shortest possible time, which was approved by the steeringcommittee. Under the plan, the pipeline will be laid without installationof compressors in the first phase.
Turkmenistan will pump gas into the pipeline without compressors. Thepipeline’s diametre will be 56 inches, therefore, only one-third of gasflow will be possible during that phase.
The official revealed that the pipeline had been divided into nine lots andsuccessful companies from the bidding process would be asked to work ondifferent lots to implement the project as quickly as possible.
Pakistan is currently importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar andItaly and is in talks with other countries to sign moregovernment-to-government supply deals.
Despite LNG deals, Pakistan needs more gas to meet needs of the industry.Seeing the growing appetite, different countries like Iran, Turkmenistanand Russia are vying to build pipelines for gas supply to Pakistan.
Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project had been conceived long ago, but itcould not be implemented due to international sanctions on Tehran.
Russia has also planned to build an offshore gas pipeline from Iran toIndia via Pakistan. Russia has shareholdings in oil and gas fields acrossIran and has been pressing Pakistan to sign a government-to-government dealfor the offshore gas pipeline.
The United States, on the other hand, has lent support to the Tapipipeline, which will meet energy needs of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India,instead of Iran-Pakistan pipeline as it has tense relations with Tehran fordecades.
“This (Tapi) is a regional energy infrastructure project and will help easetensions between neighbouring countries due to dependence on each other,”the official remarked.
Turkmenistan has huge natural gas reserves and a major chunk goes to Russiathat supplies it onwards to Europe. Turkmenistan has also been providinggas for Iran and its new markets will be Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
Turkmenistan will bear 85% of the Tapi pipeline cost estimated at $10billion, whereas Afghanistan, Pakistan and India will have shares of 5%each.