Amber Grid : Land owners have been paid compensations in the amount of EUR 1.3 million for the gas pipeline to Poland

Since the beginning of this year, with active works of the gas interconnection Poland-Lithuania (GIPL) being performed, Amber Grid has paid compensations in the amount of around EUR 1.3 million to land owners for the gas pipeline route extending along their land plots.

All land owners along whose land plots the pipeline will extend and elderships in the territories whereof the new gas interconnection will be located have already received notices of the start of gas pipeline construction.

'While implementing this project that is important not only to Lithuania, but also to the entire regional gas market, we feel it highly relevant to take into consideration the interests of the communities in the vicinity of which we are working and minimise the potential environmental impact.

Therefore, we highly focus on working with gas pipeline contractors to have the well-being created by residents remain at least not in a worse condition after the works performed than it was before construction. It is also important to explain to people that after the gas pipeline is constructed the land owners of agricultural land will be able to resume their normal activities in their land plots,' says Nemunas Biknius, the acting CEO of Amber Grid.

The gas pipeline route is planned on the territory with about 1 500 land plots extending in nine municipalities: Širvintos district, Vilnius district, Elektrėnai, Kaišiadorys district, Prienai district, Birštonas, Alytus district, Marijampolė and Lazdijai district. Amber Grid representatives have been organising meetings with communities, in the vicinity whereof the gas pipeline will be constructed, for the third year already. This close relationship established over several years guarantees that people who encounter problems during construction will know whom to contact to deal with these issues.

Amber Grid that implements the gas interconnection project and companies Alvora and Šiaulių dujotiekio statyba which perform construction works have agreed to ensure that the roads along which heavy-duty vehicles will run are orderly and that residents who use these roads are able to access their homes and land plots without any disruptions. After construction works are over the entire well-being will have to be restored to its pre-construction condition. Pictures will be taken at the place of works in order to prevent potential disputes.

The pipes will be laid underground. Normal agricultural activities will be allowed in the protection zone that is 25 metres on both sides of the gas transmission pipeline axis. However, restrictions will be imposed for the sake of safety of individuals and their property: no buildings will be allowed to be constructed in the gas pipeline protection zone and a separate approval of Amber Grid specialists will be required prior to carrying out earthworks and underground works deeper than 0.3 m.

The entire gas pipeline is planned to be constructed by the end of 2021. In 2020, almost two-thirds of the gas pipeline, i.e. about 100 km out of 165 km, are planned to be constructed. There are also plans to install more than 10 valve sites and carry out the complex works of horizontal directional drilling, laying pipeline sections beneath the largest Lithuania's rivers, Neris and Nemunas, within a year.

The GIPL gas pipeline will connect Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland with the European Union gas network, increase the number of access points to alternative gas sources in the Baltic Region, and secure gas supply as well as guarantee competition.