The security of Europe's energy supply is critical in a context of war about to enter its third year.
NATO has decided to strengthen the security of the Trans-Adriatic Gas Pipeline (DAP): the alliance deployed two mine-hunting ships from the Permanent Countermeasures Group to the Adriatic Sea to work in close cooperation with the Italian Navy and local authorities to monitor that infrastructure. Essential to supply Europe.
The decision comes as Germany faces yet another vandalism, this time of the ETL180 gas pipeline – still under construction – which is being investigated by the country's public prosecutor's office as essential infrastructure, media reveal.
The Spanish newspaper “El Economista” recalls that in 2020 TAP will begin transporting gas 878 km under the Adriatic Sea, stretching between Greece and Albania to Italy, supplying around seven million homes. Security has been tightened in the Adriatic following rising tensions in the Red Sea and last year's Nord Stream sabotage.
NATO created the Undersea Infrastructure Coordination Unit in March 2023 to map vulnerabilities and coordinate efforts to mitigate them among allies, partners and the private sector. A NATO-European Union Task Force on Critical Infrastructure Protection was also created.
Regular monitoring of the integrity of critical subsea infrastructures (CUIs) including gas pipelines and communication cables. A third of natural resources are transported by underwater pipelines, while all internet connections, including economic and financial transactions, are shared this way.
In January last year, Enagas struck a deal with Swiss firm Oxbow to buy 4% of TAP for €168 million, adding to the 16% the company already held. With this transaction, Enagas strengthened its compliance with the objective announced in the presentation of its 2022-2030 strategic plan, contributing to strengthening security of energy supply and decarbonization in Europe.
After the acquisition was completed, TAP's stake in Engas was 20%, the same percentage as British BP, Azerbaijani SOCAR, Italian Snam and Belgian Fluxys. The latter reached this position after an agreement to buy 1% in the hands of Swiss company Oxbow.
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