TAPI gas pipeline to bridge energy gap between South, Central Asia
Work on the much awaited TAPI (Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India) gas pipeline has begun with the leaders of all four countries committing to ensure technical and commercial viability of the project. The construction work of the 1,800-km pipeline will be carried out by Turkmenistan’s state-run company Turkmengaz. The project worth $7.6 billion will carry gas from Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh field to Pakistan and India via Afghanistan. On Sunday, Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow pushed the start button of the project. Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony in Mary—the ancient city of Turkmenistan, Ansari said that the launch of the gas pipeline project marks the first step towards fulfilling the vision of an economically integrated region stretching from the Bay of Bengal to the Caspian Sea. The Indian Vice President asked all the stakeholders to work together so as to ensure the technical and commercial viability of the project. “The international marketplace for energy works on complex principles. Often these are difficult to fathom. However, given the widespread poverty that exists in our countries, it is essential to ensure that we can make energy available at the least possible cost to the largest sections of our people,” Ansari said. The pipeline, which is expected to become operational in four years, will be able to carry around 90 million standard cubic metres (mscm) of gas daily for at least 30 years. Of the total quanity, India and Pakistan will get a major share of 38mscm gas per day, while Afghanistan will buy the remaining 14% of the fuel.
Experts believe that the pipeline will open doors for more such projects to connect the South Asian region with energy-rich Central Asia. The four countries engaged in TAPI are also working on a network of fibre optic cable and a power transmission line.
December 14, 2015 | 01:50pm IST
to success.