Conexus invest 3.7 Mio euro in natural gas transmission infrastructure

The unified natural gas transmission and storage operator “Conexus Baltic Grid” (Conexus) has completed two national projects regarding the reconstruction of gas transmission infrastructure. During the projects, the gas regulation station (GRS) Brocēni was reconstructed and branch of transmission gas pipeline (TGP) to the gas regulation station Sloka was reconstructed and the total investments of the project amounted to 3.7 Mio euro.

According to Ivars Cibuļskis, Manager of Conexus Gas Transmission, regular inspection and diagnosis of all gas pipeline spans is important for the maintenance of infrastructure of transmission system according to the system safety requirements. It must be emphasised that along with the so-called major gas pipelines, the technical condition of their branches also affects the operation regimen of the transmission gas system, for example, the maximum permissible operating pressure in the system.

I. Cibuļskis continues: “System security is our complete priority, so we regularly implement the diagnostics works in the 1188 km long natural gas transmission system. This year, when assessing the technical condition of GRS Brocēni and the branch of GRS Sloka, it was decided in both cases to implement reconstruction, not the regular restoration. It must be emphasised that in general the daily operation of natural gas transmission system is made so, that we continuously monitor and assess the technical condition of different spans of gas pipeline, and after the assessment we make a decision on the required works.”  

Total length of gas branch to GRS Sloka is 30.6 km, and 8.1 km of them were reconstructed. From the total amount of investments made in both projects, the largest amount was assigned in the reconstruction of the branch of GRS Sloka – 2.9 Mio euro.

It must be noted that, along with these projects, the anticorrosion insulation of several gas pipeline spans was also renewed this year. For example, the insulation was renewed on transmission gas pipeline Riga-Daugavpils, defects were repaired on transmission gas pipeline Iecava-Liepaja by installing composite couplings. This year, the defects discovered on the transmission gas pipeline Pskov-Riga are also being eliminated. These works were commenced in spring and completed at the end of this year. This, year, the renewal of anticorrosion insulation of transmission gas pipelines will be commenced also in the span Isborsk – Inčukalns Underground Gas Storage.