The Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) has broken ground. The placement of the first segment of the 1850 km gas pipeline planned from Shah Deniz to Europe was celebrated by the presidents of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey in the Selim district of Kars.

Gas will begin to flow in 2018. The transport capacity, which is planned to be initially 16 billion cubic meters per year, is aimed to increase gradually, first to 24 billion cubic meters and then to 31 billion cubic meters. TANAP will be the natural gas pipeline project with the greatest length and radius so far to be constructed within the borders of Turkey.

Tanap is the central link in the EU-backed Southern Gas Corridor, a jigsaw of existing and planned pipelines designed to diversify Caspian energy export routes and reduce European dependence on Russian gas.