The longest drilling in the onshore section of the Baltic Pipe gas pipeline is underway
In Lubuskie Voivodeship, drilling under the Warta River is in progress. This is the longest in Poland trenchless Direct Pipe type crossing of the 1,000 mm diameter gas pipeline. In total, the drilling will be 1,400 m long and will be completed in January 2022."The trenchless drilling technology employed by GAZ-SYSTEM enables non-invasive crossing of geologically or developmentally difficult areas. In the onshore section of the Baltic Pipe, this technology will be used at 120 crossings with roads, viaducts, rivers and so on” – said Krzysztof Jackowski, Vice President of GAZ-SYSTEM.
Drilling under the Warta River began on November 24, 2021, but preparations had already been underway since September. Pipes were then welded together and divided into four sections, each weighing over 200 tonnes. The joined sections were subjected to an initial leakage test. The facilities needed for drilling were also prepared, including the 6x42 m launch pit. The diameter of the gas pipeline being installed is 1,000 mm, while that of the drilling head is 1,110 mm. In total, the drilling will be 1,400 m long, and the gas pipeline itself will be installed at an average depth 30 m (reaching 40 m at the lowest point). The expected drilling completion date is estimated to be mid-January 2022.
The onshore part of Baltic Pipe project includes the construction of two gas pipelines: Goleniów - Lwówek and Niechorze - Płoty and building of 3 compressor stations. The drilling under the Warta River is located on the route of the Goleniów-Lwówek section. A total of 98 trenchless crossings are planned along this construction route, including 93 ramming and microtunnelling operations, 1 HDD and 4 Direct Pipe crossings. So far, 97 of them have been completed, including river crossings: Ina, Pełcz and Krąpiel. The crossing under the Warta River will be the last trenchless drilling of this gas pipeline.
Additional information
All works on the Goleniów-Lwówek gas pipeline are being completed on schedule. Currently, 165 km of the planned 191 km of the route have been welded and laid in the trench. The first five sections of the pipeline have undergone strength and leakage testing, and others are being prepared. The next stage of construction will be to perform certified welds, i.e. joining the sections after strength and tightness tests. The final works will consist in topsoiling and reclamation of the project area.
The onshore part of the Baltic Pipe project also includes the construction of the Niechorze - Płoty gas pipeline consisting of two sections, i.e. a 900 mm diameter section from Niechorze to the Receiving Terminal in Konarzewo, and a 1,000 mm diameter pipeline connecting the Receiving Terminal with the Gas Transfer Station in Płoty along with the accompanying infrastructure. So far, about 85 per cent of the entire pipeline route has been laid. More than half of the planned 22 trenchless crossings have also been completed. Currently, an advanced stage of welding, laying and backfilling of the pipeline is in progress. Preparations for pressure testing are also underway.
Works on the construction or expansion of 3 gas compressor stations within the Baltic Pipe project are progressing as planned. In Goleniów, Odolanów and Gustorzyno, finishing works on buildings, pipelines and other process systems essential for the operation of the compressor station are in progress.
All works are performed on schedule, so that on October 1, 2022, gas will flow to Poland through the Baltic Pipe.
The Baltic Pipe project aims to create a new corridor for natural gas supplies to the European market. The project will enable gas transfer from Norway to the Danish and Polish markets, as well as to end users in neighbouring countries. At the same time, Baltic Pipe will enable gas transfer from Poland to Denmark. The project is implemented by the Polish gas transfer operator GAZ-SYSTEM and the Danish gas transfer system operator Energinet.
The European Commission has granted the project the status of “Project of Common Interest” („Project of Common Interest”). The construction of the gas pipeline is co-financed by the European Union under the European Financial Instrument “Connecting Europe” (CEF - Connecting Europe Facility) with respect to the design and the construction of the gas pipeline.
More information about the Baltic Pipe project can be found on the website https://www.baltic-pipe.eu/pl/ and at https://twitter.com/BalticPipe_PL.
