TAP has a number of advantages over Nabucco-West, its rival for the fuel that is scheduled to be delivered to the western border of Turkey by the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP).
- It is shorter. TAP will extend 800 km, while Nabucco West will stretch 1300 km.
- It is cheaper to build. Because of the shorter distance covered, TAP is estimated to cost $500 million less.
- It has political support along the route. Greece, Albania, Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina all support construction. The Baltic countries hope to gain access to the line through an Ionian Adriatic Pipeline.
- Azerbaijan stated in February they prefer TAP. One possible reason is that TAP will not cross directly through former Eastern bloc countries, and Azerbaijan might want to avoid antagonizing Russia.
- Europe has approved TAP. In May, the European Commission granted TAP the Third Party Access exemption, giving TAP permission to offer capacity for export of gas for the next 25 years. Previously, the Europeans had given their backing to the Nabucco project.
- TAP will strengthen the Greek economy by providing transit revenues to the beleaguered nation.
- Israel could use TAP to ship its new-found gas to Europe. Valeria Termini, vice president of the Council of European Energy Regulators, has held talks with senior Israeli officials on the project, according to Platts.
Despite all the advantages to the TAP route, there is still backing in some quarters for the Nabucco-West route to Austria. "Both have advantages and disadvantages," said Gulmira Rzayeva of the Azerbaijani Center for Strategic Studies.
