Budimex is nearing the completion of work on the Goleniów-Ciecierzyce gas pipeline, a Baltic Pipe section

“This is a critical contract for us, both because of the scale, as we are tasked with building the longest onshore section of the Baltic Pipe, and because of the superior work quality which is required from the gas pipeline construction. Despite the difficulties in the construction materials market and the outflow of the Ukrainian workforce, we have managed to keep a fast pace of work. There is every indication that the gas pipeline section we are building, along with supporting features, will receive an official permit for use as early as in July. The Baltic Pipe project being delivered by GAZ-SYSTEM is a strategic infrastructural facility in Poland that will improve the country's energy security. We are all the more happy that we, the largest construction company in Poland, can take part in this delivery”, – explains Artur Popko, President and CEO of Budimex SA, the General Contractor for the Goleniów-Ciecierzyce gas pipeline.

Budimex plans to complete the commissioning together with the Project Owner in June, which will be one month ahead of the contractual milestone. The gas pipeline section will be pressurised with natural gas, and its operation will start in June and July this year, while the permit for use should be issued in July.

“This is the third contract we are fulfilling for GAZ-SYSTEM. This experience allows us to keep a fast pace of work while ensuring the required quality of workmanship. Similarly to the gas pipeline running to Slovakia that we have completed, we are planning to complete this section of the Baltic Pipe ahead of schedule, although we have seen no shortage of engineering challenges. Bypassing surface obstructions like rivers and roads required building 55 trenchless passages done by microtunnelling, directional drilling, and jacking, along with four crossings done with the latest direct pipe process. The process was used to build the drilled passages under the Ina River, the Pełcz River, and the Krąpiel River, and the last and longest crossing in Poland was under the Warta, measuring 1400 m in length”, – comments Piotr Świecki, Director of Power Engineering Construction at Budimex.

The construction methods applied by Budimex allow building low-invasive underground crossings through lands posing challenges due to geological or urban features. As such, the methods are environmentally friendly and accelerate the work on the project. The lowest elevation of the drilled crossing below the Warta riverbed is 40 m below terrain level. Along the remainder of its route, the gas pipeline was laid at least 1.2 m below the ground, in a specially prepared trench. Due to the prevailing geological conditions, some lengths were secured with sheet piling. The gas pipeline is being built with suitable infrastructure and processing units.

“Apart from the gas pipeline of almost 122 km, complete with about 8,000 welds, we have also built four processing units for it – the Goleniów Gas Compressor Station was expanded with a pig launch station, and shut-off and relief valve systems were installed in Kolonia Kiczarowo, Przywodzie, and Buszów. We are now getting the pipeline ready for plumbing to the facilities on both ends of this section. The entirety of the buried gas pipeline run is complete, has passed all pressure tests, and we have completed line and assembly welding work. We have fabricated guaranteed welds at the limits of test runs, and we are now carrying out an inspection of the gas pipeline interior with a feeler pig to be ready for the commissioning in July to be carried out together with the Project Owner, pressurise the pipeline with natural gas and start it up”, – adds Szczepan Konopczak, Contract Manager at Budimex.

As announced by the Project Owner, the Baltic Pipe will start conveying natural gas in October 2022. The scope of work being completed by Budimex on this 122-kilometre-long project includes:

•      Construction of the linear part of the gas pipeline with a diameter of DN1000, MOP 8.4 MPa, from the Goleniów Gas Compressor Station to the Ciecierzyce sluice station;
•      reconstruction of the Goleniów Gas Compressor Station, including: the Goleniów-Płoty piping run, the DN 500 MOP 6.3MPa Odolanów-Police piping run, and the DN700 MOP 8.4MPa Szczecin-Lwówek piping run;
•      construction of a linear shut-off and relief valve system at ZZU Kolonia Kiczarowo, complete with bypass systems;
•      construction of linear shut-off and relief valve systems at ZZU Przywodzie and ZZU Buszów, together with bypass systems which feature manifolds for connection of future stations and consumers, electrical power service lines, instruments, controls and automation, and other infrastructure;
•      construction of an active corrosion protection system for the gas pipeline;
•      pressurising the pipeline with natural gas and start-up.