The Trans Adriatic Pipeline has made 0.16 bcm/year of capacity available for deliveries from Greece to Albania’s Roskovec exit point. The new cross-border supply capability comes before Albania has built the domestic gas infrastructure required to absorb large volumes. The change is tied to TAP’s upstream operational adjustments in Greece.
Bidirectional Nea Mesimvria access from October
The capacity follows TAP’s move to make the Nea Mesimvria interconnection in Greece bidirectional from Oct. 1. This configuration allows gas already inside the Greek transmission system, including LNG-origin supply, to enter TAP. From there, flows can potentially move toward Albania.
Fier South exit facility scheduled for 2027 transfer
A separate Fier South exit facility is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2027. The facility is expected to be transferred to the Albanian state. Together with Roskovec deliveries, it forms part of the timing gap between cross-border access and domestic build-out.
TAP shareholders and implications for Albania’s gas bottleneck
TAP is owned by SOCAR, BP, Snam, Fluxys and Enagás. The development changes Albania’s gas bottleneck by shifting attention to what can be absorbed domestically rather than only what can be imported across borders. Cross-border supply access is increasingly available, but Albania still lacks the domestic transmission and distribution network needed to support a large end-user market.
The main investment challenge therefore centers on moving from international pipeline capacity toward internal infrastructure, industrial demand and gas-fired generation. Available TAP capacity has limited value unless Albania builds pipelines, distribution systems and anchor demand capable of using it. The additional route could eventually provide access to both Azerbaijani gas and LNG arriving in Greece.
Potential regional flow effects depend on domestic networks
If domestic networks are developed, the route could also strengthen regional flows toward Italy and the Western Balkans. For now, however, infrastructure remains ahead of market development in Albania. The next significant milestone will be investment in the domestic network needed to turn Albania from a transit country into an actual gas market.
