New gas pipeline connecting Ukraine and Poland to be launched in 2020

Thursday, June 16, 2016 - 16:33 (EEST) Section: Latest news

A new gas pipeline connecting Ukraine and Poland is to be commissioned no later than 2020, Ukrtransgaz spokesperson Maksym Beliavskiy wrote on Facebook.
As reported, the tube is to stretch from Ukrainian-Polish border to Bilche–Volytsko–Ugerske underground gas storage, which is located in Lviv region.
Both Ukrainian and Polish engineers have reportedly prepared technical documents for the planned project and are ready to start construction work.
The staff number amounts to more than 1,000 workers.
As reported earlier, in December 2015 Ukraine`s former Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk announced the upcoming gas interconnector between Poland and Ukraine would enable Kyiv to purchase 8 billion cubic meters of gas per year.
On May 1, Ukraine stopped importing natural gas from Poland.
On May 16, PJSC Ukrtransgaz, the operator of Ukraine`s gas transportation system, started repairing the reverse gas pipeline of Komarno -Drozdovychi in Western Ukraine. After being reconstructed, the pipeline can be used to transport gas from Poland to Ukraine. The repair work is to last two months during which four kilometres of the pipeline will be replaced.
UNIAN memo. Poland-Ukraine gas interconnector project will include construction of a 1.5 km-long gas pipeline from Germanovichi to the Polish-Ukrainian border and a 110 km-long part of a pipeline from Bilche-Volytsya  to the Ukrainian-Polish border.
In addition, a compressor station in Strahchocina will be built in Poland, a measuring station, and stretches of pipeline: Germanovichi – Strachocina, Strachocina – Pogorskaia Wolia, Pogorskaia Wolia – Tworzen, and Tworow – Tworzen.
The integration of the Ukrainian and Polish gas transportation systems will not only increase the volume of gas flow from the EU via Poland, but also ensure the storage of the European gas in the Ukrainian underground storage facilities.
As expected, both GTSs will also be upgraded in order to increase their capacity in the direction of Ukraine to 8 bcm per year; and from Ukraine to the EU – to 7 bcm annually.
Maximum technical capacity of gas supplies from Poland to Ukraine is 1.5 bcm per year, according to the experts.
The project is to be completed by 2020.