Baltic Pipe
Baltic Pipe is a gas pipeline that provides Denmark and Poland with a direct access to Norway’s gas fields.
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 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 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 was in charge of establishing the first three components, while GAZ-SYSTEM was responsible for the pipeline in the Baltic Sea and expansions in Poland.
Costs
Please read Russia's war in Ukraine put pressure on Baltic Pipe, which ends up costing approx. DKK 10 billion
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.
More information
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
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.
Important milestones
This is an overview of the most important milestones for the Baltic Pipe project in Denmark
- Public hearings
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.