Caspian Gas, TANAP and TAP in Europe’s Energy Security

IAI Working Papers (Istituto Affari Internazionali) 14|06, April 2014, 16 p.

by Ariel Cohen *

Russia’s occupation of the Crimea and possible incorporation of Eastern Ukrainian regions demonstrated Europe’s vulnerability to Gazprom’s energy power. Whatever the EU’s reactions, diversification of energy supply to diminish Russia’s market share is likely to be one of them. TAP is one step towards the strategic goal of diminishing Gazprom’s huge presence in Europe. But in view of the proposed construction of the Russian South Stream, how could Central Europe, and especially Bulgaria, Romania, Austria and Lithuania, ensure energy diversification? What next for the Southern Corridor? Is Russia going to accept and tolerate infrastructure growth of the Caspian and other competitors south of its borders?

Paper prepared for the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) within the framework of the project « Azerbaijan, Caucasus and the EU: Towards Close Cooperation? », April 2014. Revised version of a paper presented at the seminar on « Azerbaijan and the Southern Gas Corridor: A Transatlantic Perspective », Rome, 18 December 2013.

* Ariel Cohen, PhD, is Principal, International Market Analysis and Senior Research Fellow in Russian and Eurasian Studies and International Energy Policy at The Heritage Foundation.

Download full text (Format Pdf)