Amber Grid, the gas transmission system operator, has signed a EUR 3.7 million contract with DS-1 for the reconstruction of gas pipelines in various areas of Lithuania. The upgraded pipelines will also be equipped with innovative infrastructure elements: corrosion sensors.
The project will replace nearly 300 metres of above-ground sections of the main gas pipeline with underground sections, while nearly four kilometres of underground pipeline sections that were insufficiently deeply installed will be laid deeper. Parts of the pipeline to be reconstructed were installed 30 or as many as 60 years ago, so streams, drainage channels or other natural obstacles were overcome by laying the pipeline above them, on the surface. In several sections, the pipeline was brought to the surface by frost heaving or agricultural activities. Normally, the main gas pipeline is installed at a depth of 0.8-1.5 metres.
Half of the project will be financed by the EU Structural Funds. The project is expected to be completed by mid-2023.
“Safe gas pipelines and interruption-free energy transmission are high on Amber Grid’s agenda. We continuously inspect the pipeline system and, when we detect any damage caused by natural conditions or human activities, we promptly repair them. With this project, we will upgrade a number of pipeline sections and integrate the latest technologies that will allow us to operate more efficiently by monitoring important system indicators remotely,” says Andrius Dagys, Technical Director at Amber Grid.
The project will also modernise the natural gas transmission system with smart technologies, increasing the safety and reliability of the natural gas transmission system in the districts of Alytus, Vilkaviškis, Kaišiadorys, Elektrėnai, Panevėžys, Pasvalys, and Plungė. Innovative corrosion rate sensors will be installed in the upgraded sections of the pipelines, allowing remote inference of the pipeline condition. The new solutions will make pipeline maintenance more efficient and extend the useful life of the infrastructure.
The Lithuanian gas transmission system consists of 2,385 km of high-pressure gas pipelines, 65 gas distribution stations, and two gas compressor stations in Širvintos and Panevėžys districts. This year, Amber Grid implemented the strategic Gas Interconnection Poland-Lithuania (GIPL) project. Work on another strategic project, ELLI (increasing transmission capacity between Lithuania and Latvia), is nearing completion.
