The state information agency TDH reports that on 15 September Deputy Prime Minister of Turkmenistan’s government overseeing fuel and energy complex Maksat Babaev made a progress report on the construction of TAPI gas pipeline to President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov.
Babaev said that the international tender for the purchase of pipes, materials and equipment required for the project implementation n 2018 and commissioning of the pipeline in 2019 is scheduled to be held until the end of September.
As of today the preparation works to build the Turkmen section of the pipeline near the border with Afghanistan and at the border crossing point are being carried out.
The main stages of works which are envisaged to be performed before launching the construction of the pipeline on the territory of Afghanistan and Pakistan were also defined.
The works are being carried out jointly with the German company ILF Beratende Ingenieure GmbH, which is a technical consultant of the joint stock company TAPI Pipeline Company Limited, and UK-based Allen & Overy LLP which renders legal counseling services.
Let us recall that in January 2017 the Indian media outlets refereeing to the Ministry of Gas and Natural Resources reported on rescheduling TAPI commissioning from 2019 to 2020 due to financial issues unsettled by the Turkmen side.
This information was confirmed by Pakistan-based Inter-State Gas System.
In May 2017 at the gas congress which was held in Avaza, Turkmenistan also declared that TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) will be commissioned in 2020.