Following the commencement of the construction of the gas interconnection with Poland by gas transmission system operator Amber Grid, the first pipes delivered to Lithuania have been accepted. Consistent efforts are exerted to ensure gas will start flowing through them by the deadline established in the project, i.e. end of 2021.
Steel pipes are supplied by the successful winner of the contract – Polish company Izostal. GIPL gas pipes to be laid in the territory of Lithuania will cost EUR 26.4 million, excluding VAT.
'We are launching the first active stage of works of the gas pipeline of great importance not only for Lithuania but for all Baltic States and Finland. In this stage, the major efforts are focused on construction of the pipeline from Jauniūnai to Alytus by the end of this year. During the implementation of the project, we focus lots of our efforts on planning, security, quality of the project management and accountability for completed works', said acting CEO of Amber Grid Nemunas Biknius.
Pipes manufactured in Poland, near Katowice, are transported to Lithuania by trucks for over 700 kilometres. One truck can carry eight pipes. One pipe weighs over 2 tons and is of the length of 15 meters and of the diameter of 700 millimetres. Approximately fifteen hundred trucks are planned to bring all pipes, i.e. one kilometre of the pipeline will be brought by 10 trucks. The entire GIPL pipeline to the Lithuanian-Polish border is 165 km long.
The first pipes to be used in the GIPL pipeline construction are stacked in the special storage ground in Obeniai, next to Elektrėnai. Throughout the planned route of the gas pipeline, 10 grounds will be installed. To ensure effectiveness and quality planning of works, pipes will be delivered closer to the physical location of works. Pipes will be transported from the storage grounds and laid along the gas pipeline route.
In a week, 20 of January welding of the pipes is planned to commence. Once the sections of the pipeline are welded, one meter and a half deep trench (deeper in certain areas) will be dug and the prepared pipe will be laid into it. Nearly two thirds of the pipeline, i.e. 100 kilometres out of 165 km are planned to be laid during 2020. Besides, over 10 valve stations will be installed in the course of a year and complex horizontal directional drilling will be carried out under the largest rivers of Lithuania – Neris and Nemunas, when laying the gas pipeline sections under the rivers.
The gas interconnection to be completed in the end of 2021 will provide capacities enabling transportation of up to 27 terawatts hours (TWh) natural gas per year in the direction of the Baltic States, up to 21 TWh per year towards Poland, while the Baltic gas markets will become a part of the common EU gas market.
