130 Companies Meeting with Italy EPC Contractors
For ANCE Lecce (Association of building companies) the TAP project is an opportunity for development and jobs for the area.
Acaya (Lecce). On 16 February, more than 130 companies from Salento and Apulia joined a business networking event organised by TAP in collaboration with Confindustria (Association of the business community) and ANCE (Association of building companies). The event aimed to facilitate contacts between local companies and TAP's EPC contractors, which in December 2015 have been awarded contracts for onshore construction in Italy. The joint venture Max Streicher-Enereco was selected for the onshore section of the pipeline and Renco for the realisation of the PRT (see press release).
The plenary session took place in Acaya, Vernole, close to the project area. The three EPC contracted companies gave a brief presentation, followed by two intense B2B sessions, which aimed to explore collaboration opportunities both for construction works and all other services needed for the project realisation in Italy. In order to guarantee that all the companies present in Acaya could meet the EPC contractors, TAP organised a third B2B session the following day.
Giampiero Rizzo, President of ANCE Lecce, who also spoke on behalf of Confindustria, was very satisfied with the event: "The signal which comes from this huge participation of local companies is clear: when a project is authorised, it has to be built, allowing the investments to be turned into opportunities for development and jobs for the project area. With regard to this important project in particular, it is not the time to look for alternative landfalls anymore, it is rather time to start construction works and involve the local business community."
Clara Risso Country Manager of TAP Italia, underlined: "Today's meeting clarifies all doubts and demolishes prejudices: TAP will not only respect the environment and the landscape, but it will also bring development and opportunities to the project area, both during construction and operations phases. At that time, the Pipeline Receiving Terminal in Melendugno will manage and monitor the whole infrastructure, from the Greek-Turkish border of Kipoi to the two compressor stations in Greece and Albania and to the offshore section in the Adriatic Sea".