ABB to deliver control infrastructure for $11bn Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline in Turkey

Switzerland-based automation company ABB has secured a contract to deliver control infrastructure for the $11bn Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (Tanap) which will bring natural gas from Azerbaijan to Turkey and Europe.

The 1,850km pipeline will interconnect with the South Caucasus at Turkey’s border with Georgia and the Trans Adriatic at its border with Greece.

The gas will be delivered from the Shah Deniz 2 field in the Caspian Sea and would enter the European network in Italy and later on cross the whole of Turkey.

Tanap will form the central section of the $45bn Southern Gas Corridor.

Under the contract, ABB will deliver services such as the control system, telecommunications, pipeline monitoring, security systems including fibre-optic cables in order to communicate data along the pipelines.

ABB’s will use its system 800xA process automation system to control and automate the pipeline.

The software solutions will integrate the supervisory control and data acquisition systems and the telecommunications using which the gas flows can be controlled.

The systems also detect leakages or intrusions and make closed circuit television coverage to be used for safety and security purposes.

ABB Process Automation Division president Peter Terwiesch said: "Technology innovation and leadership is a cornerstone of ABB’s Next Level strategy.

"ABB’s leading System 800xA software and integrated telecoms solution will allow Tanap to safely and reliably operate the pipeline across vast distances from multiple locations."

Partners in Tanap include Azerbaijan-based Socar (58%), Turkey’s Botas (30%) and BP (12%).

In its initial stage, the pipeline’s planned capacity is expected to be 16 billion m³ of natural gas a year and would be increased later up to 23 billion m³ by 2023, 31 billion m³ by 2026.

At its final stage, Tanap will have a capacity of 60 billion m³.

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Image: ABB’s System 800xA extended operator workplace. Photo: courtesy of ABB