Turkish media: West plans to increase TANAP capacity to reduce dependence on Russia

Western countries plan to increase the capacity of the Trans-Adriatic (TAP) and Trans-Anatolian (TANAP) gas pipelines to reduce dependence on Russian gas.

Europe has been hit hardest by the energy crisis, when gas prices broke records, as a result of which they began to search for alternatives to Russian gas, while the reduction in supplies by the Russian operator has accelerated this search, the Turkish newspaper Yeni Shafak reports.

The annual capacity of TAP, the European section of the Southern Gas Corridor, is estimated at 10 billion cubic metres per year. The project requires additional investments to increase gas supplies to Europe. European countries want more supplies on the Southern Gas Corridor and it seems technically possible to increase the transportation volume of TAP from 10 billion to 20 billion cubic metres, and TANAP from 16 billion cubic metres to 24 and then up to 31 billion cubic metres.

However, it would take time since additional protocols and agreements are required to reach these goals earlier than in five years.