Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct. 16
By Huseyn Hasanov– Trend:
An exhibition devoted to the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline (TAPI) project is held in Kabul these days to attract the attention of private businesses, Turkmenistan's state gas concern Turkmengaz said in a message citing the Afghan media.
Abdul Rahman Mujahid, director of the TAPI project in Afghanistan, mentioned that much of the preliminary work for TAPI has been completed in Afghanistan and practical work on the project will soon begin.
"The implementation of the TAPI project primarily provides for the transit and transportation of materials necessary for construction, including pipes, building materials, etc.," Tolonews agency reported citing the head of a local private company Lotfullah Amini.
The total length of the TAPI gas pipeline will be approximately 1,840 kilometers.
Turkmen section of TAPI, the construction of which started in December 2015, will be 205 kilometers. Then the pipeline will pass through the Afghan cities of Herat and Kandahar (816 km), then on the territory of Pakistan, through the city of Quetta and Multan (819 km), and will reach the settlement of Fazilka in India.
On February 23, 2018, has begun the construction of the Afghan section of the TAPI gas pipeline, which will export gas from the Galkynysh field in Turkmenistan.
The possible costs of the TAPI project vary within $8-10 billion.
The consortium, with the participation of the Asian development Bank (ADB), continues active negotiations with all interested parties. Various options of participation in the project, such as participation in the company's share, project financing, financing through international development banks and with the help of export credit agencies from around the world are being examined.
As the leader of TAPI Pipeline company Limited, Turkmengas State Concern, which has a controlling stake, acts as the main financier and project manager.
The consortium also includes the Afghanistan Gas Corporation, Inter State Gas Systems (Private) Limited and Indian GAIL.