Amber Grid, INEA Sign Deal for EU Support to Klaipėda-Kuršėnai pipeline

Lithuania's Natural Gas Transmission System Operator Amber Grid signed an agreement with the European Union’s Innovation Network Executive Agency (INEA) for the construction of the €63.7 million Klaipėda-Kuršėnai gas transmission pipeline. 

‘Under this agreement, the Project will be granted the EU support of EUR 27.6 million under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF)’ reads a note released on Wednesday. 

The pipeline is meant to connect the LNG terminal and the Baltic states. According to Amber Grid, the terminal could meet more than 80% of the natural gas demand in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. 

‘Currently underway are intensive works for the construction of the gas transmission pipeline; the works that have already been completed include the delivery to the construction site of approx. 100 km of gas piping, the welding of over 80 km-long of gas pipeline section, of which approx. 50 percent have already been laid and buried. The construction is scheduled for completion end 2015.’

Earlier this week, ACER said that Lithuania does not need financial compensation for the Electricity interconnection between the Baltic country and Poland, explaining that Vilnius will be the net beneficiary of the project.