On Friday, LRT.lt news portal published an article about the construction of the GIPL gas pipeline interconnector with Poland and materials used during the construction. The publication discusses the likelihood that some components used in the construction may have been defective. Already on 21 March this year, Amber Grid announced through the Nasdaq exchange that they have performed the investigation and found that the connecting components used in the construction of the GIPL between Lithuania and Poland were in conformity with the design, regulatory requirements and were suitable The investigation was launched in mid-February after receiving the information about allegedly inadequate certificates for the components.
The investigation was also published in the media and sent several times to LRT.lt, which was interested in the issue.
The commission that carried out the investigation checked whether the certificates for the components were issued by the European Union companies. During the inspection, the EU companies confirmed that they were the manufacturers of the components used in the pipeline and that their certificates were authentic. Following further tests, the experts found that the chemical composition of the components was in line with the issued certificates and technical requirements set out in the contract.
As required by legal acts and technical rules, the reliability and safety of the GIPL pipeline at the end of the project was been confirmed not only by Amber Grid but also by independent experts. As foreseen in the project plan, all the necessary tests were carried out and the results recorded in protocols prior to commissioning. All welds in the GIPL pipeline were X-rayed, the most important ones were ultrasonically inspected, and high-pressure hydraulic tests were carried out on the pipeline. Using high-resolution diagnostic equipment from German suppliers, the pipe's internal geometry was checked – a special robot was used to measure the internal cavity of the pipeline, looking for possible mechanical damages. Once the internal diagnostics were positive, the pipeline was connected to the existing section. The pipeline was tested and all construction completion certificates were obtained confirming that the pipeline complies with regulatory requirements, is servicable and provides strategic energy security for the country.
The GIPL pipeline connecting Lithuania and Poland became operational on 1 May 2022. It provides energy security not only for Lithuanian consumers, but also for consumers in Poland and the other Baltic States. By eliminating gas imports from Russia, which triggered the war in Ukraine, the GIPL pipeline has become an even more important gas alternative for the Baltic region and Finland. This will be particularly important in the winter period. Currently, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and part of Finland are supplied with gas through Klaipėda LNG terminal and the GIPL pipeline.
As already announced, Amber Grid is aware that during the completion of the GIPL project, a dispute arose between the contractors, Alvora and Šiaulių dujotiekio statyba, over the contractual financial relations between the two companies. This dispute has led to the dissemination of information about the implementation of the GIPL project and used materials and has raised doubts about the reliability of the pipeline. Amber Grid and their parent company EPSO-G verify and will continue to verify all information related to the project, with the main objective of the company being the safe and reliable functioning of the gas transmission system and the transparent implementation of projects.
