Baltic Pipe
Background
The project is organised as collaboration between Energinet and the Polish gas transmission system operator GAZ-SYSTEM S.A.
Baltic Pipe will include expansion of the Polish and Danish gas infrastructure and will begin gas transmission services by October 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
Technical description
Baltic Pipe will include 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 will increase 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. GAZ-SYSTEM is in charge of establishing a gas pipeline across 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.
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.
More information
International web site
Visit GAZ-SYSTEM's and Energinet's joint web site about the Baltic Pipe Project
Danish web site
Visit the Danish version of Energinet's web site about Baltic Pipe in Denmark
Would you like to contact Energinet about the Baltic Pipe project?
MEDIA
Jesper Nørskov Rasmussen
JNR@energinet.dk, +45 23 33 85 75
Sune Juul-Sørensen
son@energinet.dk, +45 22 61 64 70
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
Current status of the project
Construction of the pipeline is currently being conducted several places in Denmark.
We have buried the pipeline on Zealand (approximately 70 kilometres) and in Western Jutland (16 kilometres) from the west coast of Denmark to the Nybro receiving terminal near Varde. 105 kilometres of pipeline has been laid on the bottom of the North Sea, from the Norwegian pipeline to the Danish west coast. All activities on the beach are now finished.
Work is also conducted on the eastern part of Funen.
Two parts of the project - western Funen and eastern Jutland, 80 kilometres all in all - has been postponed to 2022 because the Danish Environmental and Food Appeals Board repealed the permit for Baltic Pipe in summer 2021.
In Everdrup, Zealand, construction of the compressor station began in summer 2020 and work is progressing.
The offshore pipeline was pulled across the Little Belt in 2020 and is now ready to be connected to the onshore pipeline in Jutland and Funen.
Our Polish partner GAZ-SYSTEM is working on the Eastern coast of Zealand. Here, the pipeline will come ashore from the Baltic Sea.
Due to Covid-19, work on the construction project is carried out with several actions, aimed at reducing the risk of spreading the virus.
Important milestones
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 takes place across Denmark, expected to last approximately two and a half years.
Project completion
2022
Following tests of pipeline and compressor station, Baltic Pipe will begin the transmission of gas by the end of 2022.