“Trenching has been completed on 98 percent (758km out of 765km) of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) route in Greece and Albania,” the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) AG company said in its Twitter account.

“After the constructions works the pipeline will be then buried at least 1m under the ground and will therefore be invisible,” the company added.

The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) will transport natural gas from the giant Shah Deniz 2 field in Azerbaijan via Greece, Albania to southern Italy and further to Europe. The 878 km long pipeline will connect with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Turkish-Greek border at Kipoi, cross Greece and Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Southern Italy.

TAP`s routing can facilitate gas supply to several South Eastern European countries, including Bulgaria, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and others. TAP`s landfall in Italy provides multiple opportunities for further transport of Caspian natural gas to some of the largest European markets such as Germany, France, the UK, Switzerland and Austria.

TAP will promote economic development and job creation along the pipeline route; it will also be a major source of foreign direct investment. With first gas to Georgia and Turkey now being delivered, first deliveries to Europe will follow in 2020.

TAP`s shareholding is comprised of BP (20%), SOCAR (20%), Snam (20%), Fluxys (19%), Enagás (16%) and Axpo (5%).