PL
EN
The completion of the Lwówek-Odolanów gas pipeline is another crucial stage in the implementation of the Company’s comprehensive investment plan, which will allow for diversification of the directions and sources of natural gas supplies to Poland.
– Today’s inauguration of the 168 km long gas pipeline is the result of GAZ-SYSTEM’s effective investments, which are a part of the government’s strategy aimed at creating a competitive gas market in the region. The first system gas pipeline will distribute natural gas supplied from the Norwegian Shelf to Poland via the Baltic Pipe – said Tomasz Stępień, President of GAZ-SYSTEM at the press conference.
– Completion of the construction of one of the longest elements of the North-South International Gas Corridor is another critical step in the pursuit of Poland’s energy sovereignty. The activities of GAZ-SYSTEM with respect to the development of the national transmission network make the energy security of our country real. The Baltic Pipe, the LNG Terminal in Świnoujście, and the planned FSRU LNG Terminal in the Gdańsk Bay are the pillars of the consistently implemented energy policy of the Polish government. The Lwówek-Odolanów gas pipeline plays a vital role in this strategy – said Piotr Naimski, Secretary of State in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister and Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure.
– Actually, the completion of the construction is the beginning of something new. Today, we can talk about a new stage in the Polish energy security. The gas pipeline is a crucial element of the North-South Gas Corridor, which will ultimately connect the LNG Terminal in Świnoujście and the Baltic Gas Pipeline with the gas terminal on the Croatian island Krk. We carry out investments contributing to the transformation of the Polish energy sector on such a large scale with EU funding. The Lwówek-Odolanów gas pipeline received a subsidy from the European Union in the amount of about PLN 370 million – said Jerzy Kwieciński, Minister of Finance, Investment and Development.
The investment implemented by GAZ-SYSTEM involved the construction of a high-pressure 8.4 MPa gas pipeline with a fibre-optic line, located in 19 municipalities and communes of the Wielkopolska Province and the Dolnośląskie Province. The project was implemented at two investment phases:
• PHASE 1: Lwówek – Krobia with a length of approximately 113 km, including the connection of the Lwówek, Kotowo, and Krobia gas hubs.
• PHASE 2: Krobia – Odolanów gas pipeline with a length of approximately 54 km, including the connection of the Krobia and Odolanów gas hubs.
At phase 1 of the construction, one of the most challenging HDD drillings was made under the Wonieść Canal, with the approximate length of 1,022 m. This drilling consists of two parallel drilling holes: one hole for the installation of the DN 1,000 mm gas pipeline and one hole for the installation of the DN 200 mm steel lining pipe for fibre-optic cables. The application of the method of the horizontal directional drilling to drive the gas pipeline under the obstacle ensured that the investment was carried out with optimal protection of the natural environment. In total, 120 trenchless crossings were made along the gas pipeline route.
The project was co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund under the Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment.
– Today, we see the European Energy Union in action. This gas pipeline is significant not only for Poland but for entire European Union. The fact that 50% of its construction has been financed by European taxpayers is another proof of the solidarity that underpins the European integration. Poland has been an active participant and beneficiary of this integration for fifteen years now – emphasised Witold Naturski, representative of the European Commission.
Moreover, during the implementation of phase 2 of the investment, 56 archaeological sites were found over a distance of 54 km. It did not interfere with the work schedule, and the Krobia – Odolanów section of the gas pipeline was completed within the initially assumed contractual deadline.
Gaz-System
