Following the rescheduling by Poland's Gas Transmission System Operator, GAZ-SYSTEM S.A., the original date of the completion of the Gas Interconnection Poland-Lithuania (GIPL) Project for the year 2021, Lithuania's Gas Transmission System Operator, Amber Grid, on 4 October announced the termination of the previously launched tenders for the procurement of gas pipeline construction works and steel pipes.

Amber Grid also informs all potential Tender participants that it will announce new tenders as soon as a new time schedule for the GIPL Project implementation in the territory of Poland becomes known.

At the Company's request, the termination of the public procurement procedures “Works for the Construction Gas Pipeline Interconnection between Poland and Lithuania in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania" and "Steel Pipes for the Construction of the Gas Interconnection between Poland and Lithuania in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania" was authorised by the Public Procurement Office.

When AB Amber Grid was already amid the implementation of procurement procedures of the Tenders, it was notified by GAS SYSTEM S.A. of pending major changes intended to be introduced in the GIPL Project in the Polish territory–in order to resolve certain technology-related issues encountered in the process of the enhancement of the capacity of the Rembelszczyzna Compressor Station (when the Station was being accommodated to the GIPL Project needs), the original routing of the projected gas pipeline in Poland needed to be changed. Due to the aforesaid changes, in the near future, amendments to the tripartite agreements on the EU financial support for the GIPL Project will have to be agreed upon with the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) and signed by the parties concerned.

"Amber Grid has been carrying out all preparatory works of the GIPL Project in accordance with the original plans that were previously agreed upon. Having said that, we are forced to take into account the difficult situation of our Polish partners, and to change the Project schedule as well as to terminate the procurement procedures of the Tenders in accordance with applicable provisions of the Law on Public Procurement. The new tenders will be announced as soon as the new Project implementation time schedules are agreed upon," said Saulius Bilys, CEO of AB Amber Grid.

In view of the circumstances that have cropped up, the Government of the Republic of Lithuania adopted a resolution providing for the implementation of the GIPL Project part in the territory of Lithuania by end 2021 in lieu of the originally planned end 2019.