ISLAMABAD -  The process of front-end-engineering-and-design (FEED) route survey of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan and India (TAPI) gas pipeline project officially launched here on Friday.

“We are optimistic that TAPI pipeline project would meet large demand of the country and Pakistan would be surplus in power and gas after completion of this project in 2020,” Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said while addressing the inaugural ceremony of launching FEED held here. TAPI Company Chairman and Economic Adviser to Afghanistan President and ISGS Managing Director Mobin Saulat also addressed the inaugural ceremony of FEED. He informed that the ILF, a German firm, would conduct the route survey.

TAPI, also called peace pipeline project, was launched here that would pass through Afghanistan to provide gas to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The minister said that that Pakistan will receive 1.3 billion cubic feet per day gas under this project which makes one third of the country’s two billion cubic feet per day total gas production.

He said that it was a moment of pleasure that work on ground had been launched on the project that was conceived 22 years back. He said that the project would meet major energy needs of Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. The minister said that Pakistan had started import of LNG two years back but it was meeting small part of total energy needs. He further said that there were several issues in way of its implementation but they had been addressed due to efforts made by Turkmenistan.

On the occasion, TAPI Company Chairman Muhummet Murat Amanov said that the project had also economic role and was most important to bring social stability in the entire region. He said that work on the project had been done as gas sales and investment agreements had been signed. He said that they had received several offers from financial institutions and private parties to fund this project. He said that work on development of gas field had started. “The agreement with Islamic development bank (IDB) has been signed to provide financing for the project, he added.

Murat said that the TAPI project had entered into phase of development activities this year and major decisions have been taken regarding environmental activities. “This is a project of peace and stability and we assure its timely implementation,” he added.

Economic Adviser to Afghanistan President Ajmal Ahmadi said that Afghanistan was in process of implementing different projects like Casa power import project, Chahbhar port for regional connectivity. He said that Central Asia was energy hub and the TAPI was a clear solution for energy needs.

The representative of German Firm ILF Stefaw said that good technical base was required for projects like TAPI to address the risks associated with it .He said that ILF would conduct route survey to assess the cost estimates. “We will conduct route survey and seismic activities to know how to handle the security risks and other challenges in way of implementing the project,” he added.