| Turkey–Greece pipeline | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | Turkey Greece |
| From | Karacabey, Turkey |
| To | Komotini, Greece |
| General information | |
| Type | natural gas |
| Construction started | 2005 |
| Commissioned | 2007 |
| Technical information | |
| Length | 296 km (184 mi) |
| Maximum discharge | 11 billion cubic meter per yesr |
| Diameter | 36 in (914 mm) |
The Turkey–Greece pipeline is a 296 kilometres (184 mi) long natural gas pipeline, which connects Turkish and Greek gas grids. The pipeline begins in Karacabey in Turkey and runs to Komotini in Greece.
Contents |
The agreement between Turkish gas company BOTAŞ and Greek gas company DEPA was signed on 28 March 2002. The intergovernmental agreement to build a natural gas pipeline between countries was signed on 23 December 2003 in Ankara. The foundation of pipeline was laid on 3 July 2005 by the prime ministers Kostas Karamanlis and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. It was completed in September 2007.[1][2] The pipeline was officially inaugurated on 18 November 2007.[3] 14 July 2009, Bulgarian Energy Holding EAD signed an agreement with DEPA and Edison S.p.A. on setting up a company to construct and operate the branch pipeline Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria with capacity of one billion cubic meters of gas per year.[4]
The length of Turkish section is 210 kilometres (130 mi), of which 17 kilometres (11 mi) are under the Marmara Sea. The length of Greek section is 86 kilometres (53 mi). The diameter of pipeline is 36 inches (910 mm) and the capacity is 7 billion cubic meter (bcm) of natural gas per annum. In 2012 the capacity will be expanded to 11 bcm, of which 8 bcm will be delivered to Italy after Greece-Italy pipeline becomes operational. Also proposed West Balkan pipeline and Trans-Adriatic Pipeline are planned to be supplied from the Turkey-Greece pipeline. There is a plan to build an 160 kilometres (99 mi) long branch pipeline between Komotini and Stara Zagora in Bulgaria.[4]