Construction has officially begun on the Afghan section of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline, which aims to supply natural gas from Turkmenistan’s vast reserves to South Asia.
This section of the pipeline, originally scheduled for completion in 2018, faced repeated delays due to security concerns. Until now, only the Turkmenistan portion has been finished. The inauguration ceremony, held on September 11, 2024, in the Tagtabazar district of Mary province near the Turkmen-Afghan border, was attended by Afghan Prime Minister Hassan Akhund, Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, and his predecessor Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov.
The newly launched 100-kilometer (62-mile) pipeline segment will extend from Turkmenistan to the Afghan city of Herat. Once completed, the TAPI pipeline will transport 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.
Turkmenistan, home to the world’s fourth-largest gas reserves, relies heavily on its energy exports. After losing its gas trade with Russia, the country sought to diversify its customer base, now primarily exporting to China.
According to Neutral Turkmenistan, a government newspaper, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, who holds the title of National Leader of the Turkmen People, stated that the pipeline will create 12,000 jobs in Afghanistan and generate over $1 billion in annual revenue.
The TAPI pipeline represents a significant economic and energy milestone for the region, fostering cooperation and development across multiple nations.
