On 19 April 2016 AB Amber Grid launched a tender through negotiated procedure on carrying out the construction works of the Gas Interconnection Poland-Lithuania (GIPL) in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania and the procurement of the pipes necessary for the gas transmission pipeline’s construction.
The Gas Interconnection Poland-Lithuania (GIPL) project is a part of the European Union’s project of common-interest (PCI), which is implemented by AB Amber Grid together with the Polish transmission system operators GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. The purpose of the GIPL project is to integrate the gas markets of the Baltic States into a single EU gas market, to diversify the gas supply sources, and to improve the gas supply safety.
The winning tenderers will be responsible for the delivery of pipes for the construction of the gas transmission pipeline and the construction of the gas transmission pipeline and gas pressure reduction and metering station. The gas transmission pipeline measuring 165 km in length and 700 mm in diameter will be laid between Jauniūnai compressor station in Lithuania and the Lithuania-Poland border in Lazdijai District.
Applications for participation in the procurement of pipes must be submitted within 30 days. Applications for performing construction works must be submitted within 70 days.
The announcement of the technical specifications of the GIPL project on the Public Procurement Information System on 8 March 2016 generated a lot of interest from potential tenderers.
“This procurement is not only the most valuable in the history of the Company, it is also a project of great regional importance as the gas transmission systems of the Baltic States will be connected into integrated European transmission network,” says CEO of AB Amber Grid Saulius Bilys.
The total projected length of GIPL is 522 km, the 700 mm diameter gas transmission pipeline will connect gas compressor stations in Jauniūnai (Lithuania) and Rembelszczyzna (near Warsaw in Poland). The projected length of GIPL is approximately 357 km will be in the territory of Poland, and approximately 165 km will be in the territory of Lithuania.
Following the decision by the European Commission (21 November 2014) the GIPL project was granted the financial assistance under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF): EUR 10.6 million for the preparatory works and EUR 295.4 million for the construction works. In addition to EU financial support under the CEF, part of investment costs of the GIPL in Poland will be covered as a cross-border compensation from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
In 2015 the procedures for the Environmental Impact Assessment were finished and the company started territorial planning and design works. It is expected to receive the permission documents for the construction works in September 2016.
The construction GIPL pipeline in the territory of Lithuania is expected to be completed by July 2019.
