NIB-financed gas pipeline completed in Lithuania

From the left: Lithuania’s Vice Minister of Energy Rokas Baliukovas, CEO of Amber Grid Saulius Bilys, Lithuania’s Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius, CEO of UAB Alvora Nikolai Kolesnik. Photo: Amber Grid AB

The Lithuanian gas transmission system operator Amber Grid AB has completed the Klaipeda–Kuršenai gas transmission pipeline, which increases the capacity to transport natural gas from the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Klaipeda to potential customers in the three Baltic countries.

A second, 110-kilometre line of the gas pipeline, 800 millimetres in diameter, in the western part of Lithuania is set to more than double the capacity of the existing main pipeline. It links the LNG terminal to the distribution systems in Lithuania and the other two Baltic countries.

When fully integrated into the gas transmission system, the LNG terminal will be able to meet over 80% of the natural gas demand in the Baltic region.

“Infrastructure is a precondition for the development of a full-fledged natural gas market in the Baltic region. It is for the first time our company has implemented a project of this scale”, said Saulius Bilys, General Manager of Amber Grid AB, at the opening ceremony on 2 October.

The project, totalling EUR 64 million, has been co-financed by the EU, as well as the Lithuanian and Latvian gas utilities. NIB has provided a fifteen-year, EUR 32 million loan for the construction of the pipeline.

Amber Grid AB is the Lithuanian natural gas transmission system operator responsible for the transmission of natural gas to customers and the operation, maintenance and development of the natural gas transmission system.