Dec 14 , 2015
News
$10b TAPI gas pipeline project launched 25 years after inception
* Afghan and Turkmen presidents, Indian vice-president and Nawaz push the button to inaugurate construction work
MARY: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday joined the regional leaders to formally launch work on the historic Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline, the largest gas pipeline project in the region.
The ground-breaking ceremony of what Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called the “trailblazing project”, was held near the city of Mary, the fourth largest and industrial city of the Central Asian state. The prime minister was joined by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimohamedow and Indian Vice President Muhammad Hamid Ansari in inaugurating the work on the 1,814-kilometer pipeline by pushing the button. The four leaders also put their signatures on the pipeline to record the historical moment.
Upon completion by 2019, the project will supply Pakistan 1,325mmcfd (million cubic feet per day) supply of natural gas to help mitigate its energy crisis. Addressing the ceremony, the prime minister said the presence of regional leaders at the ground-breaking ceremony clearly signalled the importance they attached to this “game changing project” and their commitment for its early completion. He said it was a momentous day that an achievement had been made possible through the perseverance, patience and collective endeavours of all stakeholders.
He also thanked the Turkmen president without whose involvement and keen interest, the project could not have seen rapid progress. He also congratulated the Indian and Afghan leadership for their commitment to make the gas pipeline a success. “TAPI is not just a gas transit initiative connecting energy-rich Central Asia with energy starved South Asia but a trailblazing project,” the prime minister said, adding it would open up door to regional economic progress and integration. Nawaz Sharif said the flagship project would usher a new era of transformation of the lives of millions of people making the TAPI a symbol of shared prosperity and socio-economic development.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the TAPI was of great significance for Pakistan’s energy outlook, besides being a vital component of his government’s efforts to mitigate the country’s energy crisis through import of natural gas and electricity. “Regional connectivity subject is close to my heart. It is through the projects like TAPI we can join hands for pursuing a common goal of strengthening of peace and prosperity in our region,” he added.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk