The Government of the Republic of Lithuania has approved the Special Plan of the Gas Interconnection Poland - Lithuania (GIPL).
The aim of the Special Plan is to ensure a rational use of land and forest resources, imposition of special terms and conditions for the use of land and forest resources as well as limits of the easements required for the construction and the use of the new gas pipeline throughout the entire process of the construction and operation of the GIPL.
The European Union’s Project of Common Interest "Gas Interconnection Poland-Lithuania" (GIPL) which is implemented by AB Amber Grid in cooperation with the Polish Gas Transmission System Operator, GAZ-SYSTEM S.A., is aimed at the integration of the gas markets of the Baltic states into the common market of the EU, at the diversification of gas supply sources and at the improvement of the the gas supply reliability situation.
The expected project outcome in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania is the construction of a gas pipeline section (length 165 km, diameter 700 mm) stretching from Jauniunai Gas Compressor Station to the Polish border and a Gas Metering Station.
By the European Commission's decision as of 21 November 2014 the GIPL project was granted the EU financial support under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) in the amount of EUR 10.6 million for the preparatory works and in the amount of EUR 295.4 million for the construction works. Other than with the financial assistance of the EU, the GIPL construction works will be financed with the funds of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia that, according to the cross-border cost allocation solution, will cover part of the GIPL infrastructure costs in the Polish territory.
Project works of 2015 in the Lithuanian territory included the completion of the GIPL project's environmental impact assessment procedures, the start of the preparation of the spatial planning documents and the basic engineering design. In April of 2016 AB Amber Grid announced a public procurement tender for the procurement of the construction works and the piping required for the GIPL project part in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania.
The GIPL project construction in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania is scheduled for completion in 2019.