Intensive works on the construction of Goleniów-Lwówek gas pipeline

Photo of the article Goleniów-Lwówek pipeline, the longest element of the Baltic Pipe Project in Poland, has entered the advanced stage: welding and backfilling in trenches are underway. Along the entire route, 98 trenchless crossings will be made under terrain obstacles.
The gas pipeline, with total length of approx. 191 km, has been divided into two execution stages: the approx. 122 km long Goleniów-Ciecierzyce section and the approx. 69 km of Ciecierzyce-Lwówek.
- Modern trenchless methods are already a fixture in our Company onshore projects. Goleniów-Lwówek pipeline includes almost100 trenchless crossings under terrain obstacles. Installation works will be completed by the end of Q1 next year and then we will proceed with technical testing, gas filling and acceptance so that gas can start flowing through the pipeline in October 2022 – said Iwona Dominiak, GAZ-SYSTEM spokesperson.
For the first stage (Goleniów-Ciecierzyce), all pipes have already been strung and the entire route has been prepared for installation works. Already 75 km of pipes have been welded and 43 km of the pipeline has been laid in the trench. Archaeological works have also been completed.  The total of 55 trenchless non-invasive crossings under roads and rivers have been planned in this section and 24 have already been completed – including 657 m under the Pełcz river completed with the modern method of Direct Pipe. A 796-metre-long drilling operation is currently progressing under the Ina river. The greatest challenge, scheduled for the last quarter of this year, during the construction of this section will be the Direct Pipe under the Warta river in the area of Gorzów Wielkopolski. With 1400 metres, it will be the longest of this pipeline’s trenchless crossings.
At the Ciecierzyce-Lwówek section, which is the second stage of the Goleniów - Lwówek gas pipeline construction, the site has also been prepared and over 59% of pipes (total length of approx. 40 km) have been strung.  The contractor is carrying out welding works and 27 km of the gas pipeline has already been assembled. Just like in the case of the first stage, terrain obstacles along the route will be avoided with trenchless methods. Out of 43 planned crossings, 20 have been completed – including a 665-metre long HDD under the Obra river in the municipality of Skwierzyna.
The new Goleniów-Lwówek gas pipeline will enable the distribution of gas supplied from the Norwegian Shelf via the offshore gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea and from the LNG Terminal in Świnoujście.  The project will increase the transmission capacity of the Polish national gas transmission system by, inter alia, connecting it with the North-South Corridor.