OREANDA-NEWS. The Contractors to build the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) were decided following the qualification of tender, announced by Tanap Dogalgaz Iletim company, for overland construction of TANAP which envisages gas transportation from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz II field through Turkey and up to the country's border with Europe. On this occasion, SOCAR president Rovnag Abdullayev and officials of the Company attended the event in Ankara on December 23.

It was noted that 15 local and foreign companies applied for the tender announced in April 22, 2014 regarding construction of 1,337 km-part of the pipeline from Georgian border to Eskishehir. The tender winners are Fernas Construction, the Sicim-Yuksel-Akkord Consortium and Tekfen Construction. Tanap Dogalgaz Iletim company signed agreements with these companies.

TANAP project is successfully conducted by Turkey and Azerbaijan and is of great importance for global energy sector. The Memorandum of Understanding on the project was signed on December 26, 2011 and Intergovernmental agreement - on June 26, 2012. The first gas will go to Turkey in 2018. The initial capacity of the pipeline is expected to be 16 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas per year, gradually increasing to 31 bcm.