Lithuania finishes gas link with Poland

Vilnius, January 12 - Neftegaz.RU. Lithuania has completed its 165-km section of a gas pipeline to Poland that will expand the Baltic states' access to LNG, Lithuanian gas transmission operator Amber Grid announced.

Construction was finished on December 31 and the pipeline has been filled with gas, Amber Grid said.
The pipeline is on track to start flowing gas in the middle of 2022, although the exact date will be announced after the 343-km Polish section of the pipe is nearly ready.

The pipeline will improve energy security across Poland and the Baltic states.
It will enable the Baltic states to access LNG being imported at the Swinoujscie terminal in Poland.
In return, Poland will be able to obtain gas from the Klaipeda regasification terminal in Lithuania, as well as from Lithuania's Incukalns storage facility.

The interconnector will be able to send as much as 27 TWh of gas annually to the Baltic states, and up to 21 TWh each year to Poland.

EU support was key in getting the project off the ground.
It was listed as an EU project of common interest, and the European Commission covered more than 60% of its €500 million ($567 million) cost.
Transmission operators in Latvia and Estonia also contributed towards its financing.

Author: Joseph Murphy