Baltic Pipe

Baltic Pipe is a gas pipeline that provides Denmark and Poland with a direct access to Norway’s gas fields.

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Background

The project is organised as collaboration between Energinet and the Polish gas transmission system operator GAZ-SYSTEM S.A.

 

Baltic Pipe includes expansion of the Polish and Danish gas infrastructure. It began gas transmission services in October 2022 - full capacity from November 2022.

 

The new pipeline will expand the gas transmission capacity by up to 10 billion cubic metres of gas per year. In comparison, the total Danish gas consumption for 2016 was 2.5 billion cubic metres.

  

Win-win for both Denmark and Poland

A feasibility study has shown that the Baltic Pipe Project can bring significant socioeconomic benefits to Poland, Denmark and the Baltic and Central & Eastern European regions.

 

Important European Project

EU has included Baltic Pipe on its list of key infrastructure projects that are of common interest to Europe – also known as “PCI projects”. This is due to the essential role Baltic Pipe could play in contributing to the development of Europe’s internal market for gas, and the fortification of EU’s security of supply.

 

Investment Decision

The final investment decision on Baltic Pipe was made in November 2018.

 

As a precondition for greenlighting Baltic Pipe, Energinet and GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. launched an “Open Season” process in the second half of 2017, which invited market players to submit binding bids for capacity in the projected pipeline. The result of the Open Seasom was positive

 

Open Season 2017

 

Technical description

Baltic Pipe includes the following technical systems and installation:

  • A 105-110 kilometres long, new offshore gas pipeline from Norway's pipeline Europipe II in the North Sea to a receiving terminal.
  • Expansion of the Danish transmission system with a new gas pipeline, approximately 210 kilometres long.
  • A compressor station in Zeland. The compressor station increases the pressure of the gas in the pipeline in the Baltic Sea.
  • A 260-310 kilometres long offshore gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea between Denmark and Poland. 
  • Expansions of Poland's transmission system.

Energinet is in charge of establishing the first three components, while GAZ-SYSTEM is responsible for the pipeline in the Baltic Sea and expansions in Poland. 

Costs

The total cost estimate for Baltic Pipe is DKK12-16 billion.The costs are split equally between Energinet and GAZ-SYSTEM.

Project of Common Interest

The Baltic Pipe project has been included on EU’s list of important infrastructure projects – also known as Projects of Common Interest (PCI) – which are deemed essential to the integration of the European energy networks. As a result, the project has been granted EU funds to perform a feasibility study. Find an abstract of the feasibility study here.

 

Learn more about PCI

 

 

 

Contact

Would you like to contact Energinet about the Baltic Pipe project?

MEDIA
Jesper Nørskov Rasmussen
JNR@energinet.dk, +45 23 33 85 75

Pernille Foverskov Stanbury
psa@energinet.dk, +4520 30 81 03

SUPPLIERS
Martin Herskind Grotrian
mgr@energinet.dk, + 45 25 19 45 72

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER
Søren Juul Larsen
sjl@energinet.dk, +45 23 33 87 25

BALTIC PIPE HAS COMMENCED OPERATION AT FULL CAPACITY

After three years of construction work and even longer preparation, the gas pipeline is now ready. 

See latest news story

Important milestones

This is an overview of the most important milestones for the Baltic Pipe project in Denmark

  • Public hearings
  • Public hearings
  • Final investment decicion
  • Environmental approval
  • Geotechnical studies
  • Archaeological studies
  • Offshore environmental approval
  • Construction work
  • Project completion

Public hearings

2018 - 2019

Public hearings and information meetings for citizens affected by construction work. 

Final investment decicion

30 November, 2018

Energinet and GAZ-SYSTEM make the final investment decisions for the Baltic Pipe project. 

Environmental approval

12 July, 2019

Danish Environmental Protection Agency issues the environmental approval for construction work on land.

Geotechnical studies

2019

Geotechnical studies are carried out to get an overview of soil conditions along the planned routing of the pipeline. More than 500 geotechnical drillings are made across Jutland, Funen and Zealand. 

Archaeological studies

2019 - 2021

Local museums make archaelogical studies before the actual construction work begins. If they find interesting, prehistoric objects, archaeologists will have the opportunity of undertaking actual excavations.

Offshore environmental approval

25 October, 2019

The Danish Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities grants permits to the offshore parts of the gas pipeline. Energinet is responsible for the pipeline on the maritime and continental shelf in the North Sea and the Little Belt and GAZ-SYSTEM for the maritime and continental shelf in the Baltic Sea. 

Construction work

December 2019 - 2022

Construction work takess place across Denmark.

Project completion

2022

Following tests of pipeline and compressor station, Baltic Pipe began the transmission of gas in October 2022, full capacity from November 2022.