Construction works related to the installation of the Zdzieszowice – Wrocław gas pipeline under the Oder River in Kąty Opolskie are in progress. The total length of horizontal directional drillings under the rivers along the route of this gas pipeline is about 5 km in the Opolskie and Dolnośląskie Provinces.
The construction of the Zdzieszowice – Wrocław gas pipeline in the Opolskie Province is well under way. About 70% of construction works have already been carried out on the 80 km section. The scope of construction included, among others, the execution of 64 trenchless crossings, 38 of which have already been completed.
Currently, in Kąty Opolskie, trenchless crossing of the Oder River is being carried out, involving the installation of a 550-meter-long pipeline with a diameter of 1016 mm under the river bed. The two previously prepared pipeline sections, each approximately 275 m long, will be installed subsequently under the Oder River between Kąty Opolskie and Zimnice Wielkie, in the neighboring commune of Prószków. The modern technology used for this purpose enables drilling in the ground with the use of a cutting head and simultaneous installation of a pipeline under a terrain obstacle. This is possible because of the pressure of the pushing station situated before the obstacle being crossed. Rotational movement of the tool as well as the transport of excavated material is possible thanks to the devices located inside the installed pipeline for the time of drilling. An additional advantage of this technology is the ability to control the pipeline trajectory. The gas pipeline will be founded at a maximum depth of about 13 meters under the bottom of the Oder River at an entrance and exit angle of 5°.
Trenchless methods implemented by Gaz-System are used to ensure protection of the natural environment and to reduce interference with road infrastructure and river navigation. The scope of their application depends on the geological structure and geotechnical characteristics of the soil.
Gaz-System is currently in the process of constructing several key gas pipelines and gas compressor stations in the Opolskie Province, which will be a part of the national transmission system. This will be an important element of the North-South gas corridor, running from the President Lech Kaczyński LNG Terminal in Świnoujście to the south of Poland.
Within the gas corridor in the Opolskie Province, three sections of gas pipelines with a diameter of 1000 mm and a total length of 115 km are being built, i.e. the Zdzieszowice – Wrocław, Zdzieszowice – Kędzierzyn-Koźle and Tworóg – Kędzierzyn-Koźle gas pipelines. The commissioning of gas transmission, through these new sections, is planned for the first half of 2020. The company is also planning to construct a gas compressor station in Kędzierzyn-Koźle in 2021.
Apart from the benefits stemming from the development of gas infrastructure in the region, an important aspect for the local community will be the annual property tax paid by Gaz-System in the amount of up to 2% of the value of the transmission infrastructure built on the area of a given commune.
Gaz-System