Azerbaijan's TASIM project among world’s global 13 projects

By AzerNews

The project Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway (TASIM) considered to be implemented upon Azerbaijan's initiative was selected one of the world's 13 global projects.

The Azerbaijani Communication and Information Technologies Ministry reported that the TASIM project was selected as a nominee among the 100 infrastructure projects for the Global Infrastructure Leadership Forum Project of the Year awards.

Project of the Year Award nominees cover nearly every infrastructure sector, highlighting the best projects proposed for 2013. Nominees are drawn from thirteen countries.

TASIM competed the Finance Project of the Year nominee with Turkish Istanbul Airport project in the amount of $9 bln and Brazilian Rio de Janeiro Airport Concession project valued at $3.2 bln.

Here the nominees were recognized for pursuing an innovative or inclusive financing model. Projects in this category provide a model that can be replicated to the benefit of future projects.

The TASIM project is a major regional initiative to construct a transnational fiberoptic cable, which will serve as the backbone of information transfer and communications from Western Europe to China.

The project will build a major new information transit route from Frankfurt to Hong Kong. This route will connect the biggest exchange point in Europe with the biggest exchange point in Asia. TASIM is a long-term initiative being coordinated by Azerbaijan and will be implemented in stages. Countries to benefit from TASIM are very different in terms of their level of telecom sector development and market needs. In more advanced countries, issues such as low latency and advanced services in IP networks are priorities to be addressed, while in less developed countries, basic connectivity and the price of accessing the internet are considerations.

The Trans Anatolian Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP), in the amount of $7 bln and initiated by Azerbaijan, also was among the nominees of competition for "Best Infrastructure Project of the Year".

In the nomination of the Engineering Project of the Year, nominees were recognized for designing technically challenging projects. Nominees were TANAP (USD 7 billion) by Azerbaijan, Hyderabad Metro (USD 2.6 billion) by India and Al Abdaliyah Integrated Solar Combined Cycle Plant by Kuwait.

TANAP is expected to transport gas from the Shah Deniz offishore gas field to markets in the west. The project was announced in 2011 at the Third Black Sea Energy and Economic Forum in Istanbul, and a memorandum of understanding establishing a consortium to build and operate the pipeline was signed between Turkey and Azerbaijan.

The pipeline is expected to cost $7 billion. Construction is planned for 2014 and is to be completed by 2018. The pipeline will run from Turkey's border with Georgia to Turkey's border with Europe. The exact route of the pipeline has not been finalized, however it was announced that branches will enter Greece and Bulgaria, and that it will connect to the Nabuco-West Pipeline. SOCAR (80%), BOTAS (15%), and TPAO (5%) are the founding members of the consortium. SOCAR has the right to sell a part of its shares to minority partners. It has invited BP, Statoil, and Total S.A. to become minority shareholders in the project.

The 6th Global Infrastructure Leadership Forum, attended by more than 400 representatives of government and companies, hosted the top global infrastructure projects by bringing together high level decision makers involved in the global infrastructure build, including individuals in engineering, construction, technology, public policy and finance.