Amber Grid Eyes GIPL Work Start in Autumn

Now that the government has approved the Lithuanian section of the Gas Interconnector Poland-Lithuania (GIPL), Amber Grid, the Lithuanian gas transmission company, expects to obtain the construction permits by autumn.

The company is ready to start the procedures for obtaining the permits, Danas Janulionis, head of strategic planning at Amber Grid, told Lithuanian media June 23.

“This plan enables us to continue applying to institutions, to obtain building permits in all municipalities, which the gas pipeline is expected to cross… We hope that the construction stage will begin in autumn,” he said. The section will run through the nine districts. Potential construction contractors are expected to submit their bids this month.

In Lithuania, the GIPL should cost about €136mn of which €55mn is from the European Union's Connecting Europe Facility.

The government approved the special plan for the Lithuanian section of GIPL June 22. Amber Grid is implementing the project together with the Polish gas transmission company Gaz-System.

The 165-km, 700-mm pipeline will be able to supply about 2.6bn m³ of gas to Lithuania and 1.8 bn m³ to Poland each year. Both countries also have LNG import terminals, and Poland already imports gas by pipeline from Germany. 

Linas Jegelevicius