09/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - Requests for third party access exemption on behalf of Trans Adriatic Pipeline. The consortium heading the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) pipeline, which, by 2017-2018 will carry between 10 and 20 billion m³ of gas from the Caspian region across the Adriatic Sea to Europe, this week submitted its third party access exemption requests in each of the three countries - Albania, Greece and Italy - the pipeline crosses. These exemptions will allow TAP to enter into long-term gas agreements with Azerbaijan as part of the extraction programme of the Shah Denis II gas reserves. The consortium has also submitted an application to the Italian government for the construction and operation permits needed in that country. The TAP consortium is due to take its final investment decision in 2013. Under a consortium consisting of Swiss energy group EGL (42.5%), Statoil of Norway (42.5%) and E.ON Ruhrgas of Germany (15%), TAP is one of three pipelines - the others being Nabucco and ITGI - which will carry gas from the Shah Deniz fields in Azerbaijan, along the Southern Gas Corridor, to Europe. (E.H./transl.rt)