Greece-Italy pipeline
Encyclopedia
The Greece–Italy pipeline is a planned natural gas pipeline for transportation of natural gas from Caspian region
to Italy
. It is a part of the Interconnector Turkey–Greece–Italy.
.
The memorandum of understanding for the construction of pipeline was signed between Greek gas company DEPA and Italian energy company Edison S.p.A.
on 28 April 2005. It followed by the intergovernmental agreement signed on 4 November 2005 in Rome
by Italian Minister for Productive Activities Claudio Scajola
and Greek Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas
. Also Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Hilmi Güler
was present at the ceremony. On 31 January 2007, Italy's Minister of Economic Development Pierluigi Bersani, and Greek minister Dimitris Sioufas granted exclusive usage rights of the pipeline to Edison S.p.A. and DEPA for 25 years. This was approved by the European Commission in May 2007. On 26 July 2007, the additional protocol on construction was signed in Rome. On 11 June 2008, the project company IGI Poseidon SA was incorporated in Italy.
In February 2011, the engineering consultancy Penspen was awarded the basic engineering design contract for the onshore section of the pipeline from Komotini
in to Igoumenitsa
, Thesprotia
.
. The pipeline will be connected to the Turkey–Greece pipeline outside Komotini and will run to Igoumenitsa, Thesprotia. The offshore section (also known as Poseidon pipeline) will be built between Igoumenitsa and Otranto
in Apulia
region.
The offshore section will cost €500 million and the Greek section will cost €600 million. The capacity of pipeline is to be 8 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas annually. 80% of the transmission capacity will be reserved to Edison SpA, while 20% is reserved to DEPA.
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is a part of the Interconnector Turkey–Greece–Italy.
History
The feasibility study of the pipeline was conducted in 2003. The study was funded by the European CommissionEuropean Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
.
The memorandum of understanding for the construction of pipeline was signed between Greek gas company DEPA and Italian energy company Edison S.p.A.
Edison S.p.A.
Edison S.p.A is the fifth largest energy company in Italy in the field of electricity and natural gas. It produces, imports and sells electric power and hydrocarbons.-History:...
on 28 April 2005. It followed by the intergovernmental agreement signed on 4 November 2005 in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
by Italian Minister for Productive Activities Claudio Scajola
Claudio Scajola
Claudio Scajola is an Italian politician.-Career:A long-time Christian Democrat, he was mayor of Imperia in the Eighties, as his father and his brother had been. When Christian Democracy disbanded, he joined Forza Italia in 1995. He was then elected deputy in 1996 and was national coordinator of...
and Greek Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas
Dimitris Sioufas
Dimitris Sioufas is a Greek lawyer and New Democracy politician.Born in Ellinopyrgos, Karditsa, Sioufas has a degree in political science and public administration at the Panteion University of Athens as well as in law from the University of Thessaloniki.He was first elected to the Greek...
. Also Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Hilmi Güler
Hilmi Güler
Mehmet Hilmi Güler is a Turkish politician and metallurgical engineer. He was the Energy and Natural Resources Minister of Turkey in 2002-2009.-Biography:...
was present at the ceremony. On 31 January 2007, Italy's Minister of Economic Development Pierluigi Bersani, and Greek minister Dimitris Sioufas granted exclusive usage rights of the pipeline to Edison S.p.A. and DEPA for 25 years. This was approved by the European Commission in May 2007. On 26 July 2007, the additional protocol on construction was signed in Rome. On 11 June 2008, the project company IGI Poseidon SA was incorporated in Italy.
In February 2011, the engineering consultancy Penspen was awarded the basic engineering design contract for the onshore section of the pipeline from Komotini
Komotini
Komotini is a city in Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace and of the Rhodope regional unit. It is also the administrative center of the Rhodope-Evros super-prefecture. The city is home to the Democritus University of Thrace, founded in 1973...
in to Igoumenitsa
Igoumenitsa
Igoumenitsa , is a coastal city in northwestern Greece. It is the capital of the regional unit Thesprotia. Its original ancient name used to be Titani....
, Thesprotia
Thesprotia
Thesprotia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Epirus region. Its capital is the town of Igoumenitsa. It is named after the Thesprotians, an ancient Greek tribe that inhabited the region in antiquity.-History:...
.
Description
The length of Greece–Italy pipeline will be more than 807 kilometres (501.4 mi), of which 590 kilometres (366.6 mi) will be onshore pipeline in Greece and more than 217 kilometres (134.8 mi) will be laid on the seabed of Ionian SeaIonian Sea
The Ionian Sea , is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by southern Italy including Calabria, Sicily and the Salento peninsula to the west, southern Albania to the north, and a large number of Greek islands, including Corfu, Zante, Kephalonia, Ithaka, and...
. The pipeline will be connected to the Turkey–Greece pipeline outside Komotini and will run to Igoumenitsa, Thesprotia. The offshore section (also known as Poseidon pipeline) will be built between Igoumenitsa and Otranto
Otranto
Otranto is a town and comune in the province of Lecce , in a fertile region once famous for its breed of horses.It is located on the east coast of the Salento peninsula. The Strait of Otranto, to which the city gives its name, connects the Adriatic Sea with the Ionian Sea and Italy with Albania...
in Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
region.
The offshore section will cost €500 million and the Greek section will cost €600 million. The capacity of pipeline is to be 8 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas annually. 80% of the transmission capacity will be reserved to Edison SpA, while 20% is reserved to DEPA.
Project company
Greek gas company DEPA is responsible for the construction of Greek section. The offshore section will be constructed by IGI Poseidon SA, a joint company of DEPA and Italian Edison S.p.A.See also
- Trans Adriatic Pipeline
- Nabucco pipelineNabucco PipelineThe Nabucco pipeline is a proposed natural gas pipeline from Erzurum in Turkey to Baumgarten an der March in Austria diversifying natural gas suppliers and delivery routes for Europe. The pipeline attempts to lessen European dependence on Russian energy...
- South Caucasus PipelineSouth Caucasus PipelineSouth Caucasus Pipeline is a natural gas pipeline to transport natural gas from the Shah Deniz gas field in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea to Turkey...
- South StreamSouth StreamSouth Stream is a proposed gas pipeline to transport Russian natural gas to the Black Sea to Bulgaria and further to Greece, Italy and Austria. The project is seen as rival to the planned Nabucco pipeline...