Baku, Azerbaijan, May 20
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Pipeline installation of the offshore part of Balticconnector, the Estonian-Finnish gas interconnection, will begin today, Trend reports citing the website of Balticconnector.
“All the offshore pipes – more than 6,400 in number – with a total weight of 36,000 tons have arrived in the Port of Paldiski from Greece. The ship installing the offshore pipeline, Lorelay, arrived in the Port of Paldiski on 16th of May and sailed from there to the southside of Skämmö Island in Inkoo, Finland. The installation work of the pipeline begins today 20th of May 2019 and the pipeline installation will progress at a rate of 2–3 kilometres per day towards Estonia,” reads the message.
Reportedly, pipe post-lay intervention work will begin in June and progress in parallel with pipelay operations. “The installation work will be ready in July and after that the offshore pipeline will undergo pressure testing after which it will be dried and connected to the onshore pipelines in Finland and Estonia.”
“The construction work of the Finnish onshore parts has progressed as planned. The onshore pipeline welding will be ready in June and mechanical completion will be in August. Inkoo compressor station construction works also progress as planned and mechanical completion will be also reached in August. Test runs with gas will start in September and the onshore parts in Finland will be ready for commercial operation in December 2019,” said the message.
Reportedly, the construction of the Estonian onshore part of Balticconnector has proceeded in schedule and 92 percent of the welding work and 90 percent of the insulation work has been completed, and 34 kilometres of pipeline has been trenched. “The construction of Paldiski and Puiatu compressor stations has commenced. The current progress allows operating the pipeline at a reduced capacity already in the beginning of 2020.”
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