According to the plan AB Amber Grid is continuing the preparatory works for the project on the Gas Interconnection Poland – Lithuania (GIPL). In July 2015, AB Amber Grid concluded a contract with UAB Ardynas, a private company that will perform the territorial planning and designing works. Started in 2013, the environmental impact assessment procedure is nearing completion. Another important step – the preparation of the GIPL special plan has been initiated.
This phase will include the development of the territorial planning solutions for the implementation of the GIPL in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania; identification of the optimal locations (strips or areas of land) for the construction of the new pipeline (the gas interconnection between Poland and Lithuania) in the territory of Lithuania ensuring an efficient use of land and forests during the construction and/or operation; setting the special conditions for the land and forest use and for the use, management and protection of the planned territories; terms and conditions for the carrying out of activities in such territories etc. It is estimated that the territorial planning tasks will be completed in 2016.
The objectives of the GIPL project include the integration of the Baltic countries’ gas markets into the common gas market of the European Union, diversification of the gas supply sources, and increasing the security of the gas supply. The project is being implemented jointly with the Polish gas transmission system operator - GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. The preparatory works for the GIPL project have been started in 2009, a GIPL business environment analysis was prepared in 2013, and a GIPL feasibility study was completed in 2013.
On 13 May 2015, AB Amber Grid and GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. signed a tripartite agreement with the EU Innovation Network Executive Agency (INEA) on the financial assistance of the EU for the Preparatory Works for the Gas Interconnection Poland–Lithuania up to building permission(s) obtainment. Under this agreement, the project was granted financial assistance of the EU of 10.6 million EUR under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). The preparation of the special plan is one of the phases that will be implemented under the tripartite agreement.
The main gas pipeline 700 mm in diameter will connect the gas compression stations of Jauniūnai in Lithuania and Rembelszczyzna in Poland. The total length of the gas pipeline is 534 km including approx. 177 km in the territory of Lithuania. The GIPL project also includes the increase in the capacities of the Rembelszczyzna compression station and the construction of a new Gustorzyn compression station in Poland.
The estimated value of the GIPL project is EUR 558 million including 422 million EUR in the territory of Poland and 136 million EUR in the territory of Lithuania. Launch into operation of the GIPL is scheduled for the end of 2019.
In 2014 the Lithuanian part of the GIPL project was recognised as an economic project of national significance by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.
In 2013 the GIPL project was included in the list of the EU Projects of Common Interest by the European Commission. The project has also been included in the Ten-Year Network Development Plan of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSO-G) and in the Gas Regional Investment Plan for 2014-2023 of the Transmission System Operators from the BEMIP region (Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan), as well as in the National Energy Independence Strategy approved by the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania and the National Plan of Implementation of the Priority Projects in Electricity and Natural Gas Transmission Infrastructure approved by the Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.
