Berat, Albania | 07 Feb 2019 (Tirana Echo) – The Albanian government has received help from the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) which together with local authorities financed the building of a new kindergarten and the renovation of a school in the district of Berat in southern Albania.
The new kindergarten in the Dushnik village and the school in the Veterik village are part of TAP’s Social and Environmental Investment (SEI) programme in Albania and have jointly amounted to approximately €440,000 Euros donated by the gas consortium.
Representatives of TAP which will transport natural gas from the giant Shah Deniz II field in Azerbaijan to Europe, say that as part of their commitment to the local residents where the pipeline passes through, both facilities now provide modern conditions for students and children.
Most rural kindergartens and public schools in rural Albania suffer from a lack of adequate physical conditions in order to provide for a satisfactory learning environment. Schools often lack central heating facilities, thermal insulation, proper toilets while its emergency exits and fire protection plans are far from any European standards.
During a two week period in January, hundreds of public schools had to close down as their heating facilities could not handle the extreme cold temperatures which almost crippled the country’s infrastructure.
The Mayor of Berat Petrit Sinaj attending the inauguration ceremony together with TAP Country Manager for Albania Malfor Nuri, said:
“These two TAP investments were indispensable for the communities. The sports facilities of Veterrik school will also be available to the wider community for exercising and other activities. The newly built kindergarten in Dushnik will accommodate the children of one of the largest villages in Berat. I would like to thank TAP for these investments and the close cooperation with the Municipality.”
TAP says it remains committed to improving the quality of life of local communities, with a particular emphasis on school rehabilitation, in cooperation with both the central and local governments. To date, the consortium has invested in the rehabilitation of ten schools and kindergartens in Albania, as part of its SEI programme.
The 878 km long pipeline will connect with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Turkish-Greek border at Kipoi, cross Greece and Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Southern Italy. TAP’s landfall in Italy provides multiple opportunities for further transport of Caspian natural gas to the wider European market.
With first gas to Georgia and Turkey now being delivered, first deliveries to Europe will follow in 2020.
TAP’s shareholding is comprised of BP (20%), SOCAR (20%), Snam (20%), Fluxys (19%), Enagás (16%) and Axpo (5%).
Copyright @2019 TiranaEcho.com Al Rights Reserved