Trans Adriatic Pipeline Submits PEIA to Greek Authorities

The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) has submitted a Preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment (PEIA) to the Greek Ministry of Environment.

This application is an addition to the scoping documents that TAP submitted earlier this year in preparation for its full Environmental & Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). In addition to complying with Greek law, TAP has also decided to carry out its impact assessment in accordance with the stringent international guidelines from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to ensure that the project optimises environmental and social performance.

The PEIA gives further detail on the location of TAP’s routing, as well as the evaluation of the alternative routes analysed by the TAP team. This includes more information, for example, on modelling of the preliminary air emissions and on the previously undeveloped sections along the pipeline route.

Martin Ferguson, TAP’s HSE and CSR Director, commented: “With this important submission, TAP continues to show its progress on minimizing any negative environmental and social impact of the project in Greece. We involved many experts and various Greek authorities in preparing this report. In addition, we met communities along our proposed pipeline route and listened to their concerns. Now we are confident that the selected route is the most environmentally effective solution and it will not adversely affect any communities along the pipeline. We will continue to use this approach for our future submissions and will adhere to the highest standards recognised by Greek national law as well as the international community, including the EBRD.”

Rikard Scoufias, TAP’s Country Manager in Greece, commented: “Protecting the environment and ensuring that our project brings positive social benefits are key considerations for TAP, as well as for the communities affected by the project. The environmental and social impact assessment is the basis for getting this right, and I am very pleased with the excellent cooperation our teams have had with the Greek authorities, local stakeholders and national experts in preparing this.”

Once the Greek authorities have provided their comments on the PEIA application, TAP will use their input for preparing the full border-to-border Environmental and Social Impact Assessment. In the meantime, the project will continue its extensive stakeholder consultation engagement and route refinement activities in Greece.

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Source: TAP, September 29, 2011