Albania’s benefit from TAP

The study says that the construction phase, which will start in 2015 and will end in 2018, will generate 157 million EUR in the Gross Domestic Product and will create 2900 jobs annually. But these are only the direct profits.

The study notes that the construction will have a chain effect in the creation of new businesses, and will include other activities connected to this industry. According to them, this will increase the Gross Domestic Product with 110 other million EUR and 3900 jobs.

The chain effect continues with the economy profiting from the spending of the employes in the project and the activities connected to it. According to the calculations, this effect will be another 110 million EUR in the Gross Domestic Product and 460 new jobs.

This will effect the state treasury too, generating 40 million EUR in the budget from 2015 to 2018. These profits are only for the first years of construction. In 20 years experts say that the Albanian economy will benefit 1 billion EUR only from this project.

Experts: Lower demand for energy, lower prices

Experts of the Energy Regulation Entity say that the construction of TAP, which ends in January 1st 2019, will reduce the economic problems of Albania.

“Regardless the size of the initiail demand in Albania, TAP will take the responsibility to cover it. ERE has foreseen that TAP will evaluate the market every two years and if there will be a need for more gas, the capacity of the existing gas stations will increase”, declared Shkelqim Bozdo, Commissioner of ERE.

He explains that the usage of gas reduces the family costs for heating and cooking with 30%.

But gas will also be used in industry, enabling businesses to have a lower cost in energy.

TAP is a 40 billion USD investment, a gas pipeline that starts in Caspic and goes to the European markets through Albania, ending in Italy. The project was selected as winner from the Shah Deniz shareholders in Azerbaijan, against the rival Nabuco, which avoided Albania. For this reason, official Tirana and the outgoing Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, have been the strongest supporters of this project in the international arena, by lobbying in Azerbaijan and Brussels.

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