The Greek segment of the TAP natural gas pipeline appears to have cleared one last hurdle obstructing its development following the rejection by the Council of State, Greece’s Supreme Administrative Court, of a case filed by the municipality of Kavala, northern Greece, and other local authorities seeking a revision of the project’s route in the Kavala area.

The disputed Kavala segment concerns a 10-kilometer stretch, from the pipeline’s 195th kilometer to the 205th kilometer. Construction work at this stretch was scheduled to begin in autumn, 2016 but has been delayed as a result of the local reaction.

Highlighting the pipeline’s problem in the Kavala area, construction work has progressed, or even been completed, at all other segments.

The TAP project is planned to run through northern Greece, Albania and across the Adriatic Sea to Italy.

The energy ministry, local government officials and the TAP consortium recently signed an agreement for the construction of a water supply pipe system to handle water-shortage problems that have affected the Kavala area over many years. This project is budgeted at nearly 20 million euros.

The TAP consortium is set to receive a 1.2 billion-euro loan from the EBRD following a positive appraisal of the project by the bank, it was revealed yesterday. This loan’s extension is expected to be confirmed at an EBRD meeting on July 4.