TANAP groundbreaking ceremony to be held on March 17

The groundbreaking ceremony of the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) is planned to take place next week in the eastern province of Kars, with the participation of presidents from Turkey and Azerbaijan, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Y?ld?z said on March 9.

"The ceremony will be held on March 17 in Kars at the level of presidents, barring a last minute cancelation," Y?ld?z said during a meeting with the representatives from the Steel Pipe Manufacturers' Association (ÇEB?D).

The TANAP project envisages gas transportation from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz II field through Turkey and up to the country's border with Europe.

Some 1.3 million tons of steel pipes will be used for around $1.5 billion, Y?ld?z said.

"Only 200,000 tons of these pipes will be produced abroad, while 1.1 million tons will be produced in Turkey. This is of great importance for us. We'll ensure several anti-damping probes will not have an adverse effect on the TANAP," he added.

Many other potential pipelines in the region will create a huge market, of which Turkey will take a big share, Y?ld?z stated.

"I am in favor of the participation of Turkish steel producers in big energy projects, as we have quite advanced technologies and production capacities. For the record, I should say that our steel producers export more than the total annual pipe needs of the TANAP in volume," he added.

Turkey's steel industry produces 2 million tons of steel pipes worth over $1.5 billion per year, said ÇEB?D head Ahmet Kamil Erciyas, adding that the annual production capacity of the sector is around 6 million tons.

He said the Turkish sector had been encouraged to provide locally produced steel for the TANAP, but this was not economical....