BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 10. The Trans
Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) could expand its role through delivery of
American LNG through Greece to Southeast Europe in the future, the
U.S. Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic Kimberly Guilfoyle wrote
on her X account.


“I was pleased to meet with Trans Adriatic Pipeline Managing
Director Luca Schieppati and Greece Country Representative Ioannis
Maris to discuss the future of TAP. TAP continues to play a key
role in diversifying energy supplies for Greece - and the region -
and could expand its role through the delivery of American LNG
through Greece to Southeast Europe in the future,” she wrote.


The ambassador’s remarks come at the time when the Nea Mesimvria
interconnection point in Greece is about to officially achieve
operational bidirectionality.This will enable the point to function
as both an entry and exit point, allowing natural gas to flow in
both directions between the TAP system and Greece’s National
Natural Gas System (NNGS) operated by DESFA.


The development will further enhance the flexibility of the
existing gas network, enabling TAP to transport gas volumes from
additional sources (including LNG entering Greece’s NNGS) into the
European market. According to the current arrangements, which are
highly regulated, there are no technical, commercial or legal
obstacles preventing such flows.







In addition, Gastrade earlier this year announced that it is
assessing interest for a second floating storage and regasification
unit (FSRU) in Thrace, targeted for operation by 2028. The project
is expected to increase Greece’s LNG import and export capacity and
strengthen supplies to the markets of the Vertical Gas Corridor.
The design of the second FSRU could envisage an interconnection
with TAP and/or Greece’s NNGS.


TAP is the European section of the Southern Gas Corridor,
transporting natural gas from Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz field to
European markets. The 877-kilometer pipeline runs from the
Greece-Türkiye border through Greece and Albania, crosses the
Adriatic Sea and reaches Italy’s southern coast. TAP currently has
an initial transportation capacity of 10 bcm per year, with the
potential to expand it to 20 bcm per year.