Elering to start building LNG terminal's connecting pipeline soon

TALLINN – Estonian electricity and gas system operator Elering has been making  preparations for the start of the construction of the interconnecting pipeline for the future liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Paldiski and is able to start construction work in the near future, after agreeing on the final details with the private sector.

Design work for the pipe link has been ongoing for several months. The design work is being carried out by the Alexela Group company Conx BM OU, the same company that has prepared the mooring quay project. Several thousand man-hours of design work have already been carried out. In total, 10,000 man-hours will be spent on the design, with dozens of people working for the company preparing the design and its Australian subcontractor, Elering said in a press release on Tuesday.

For several months, the Estonian gas system operator has been mapping the purchase options for the technical equipment of the gas infrastructure required for the interconnection and concluding preliminary agreements for their procurement. For example, 25-meter flexible connection hoses must be obtained to connect the floating terminal to the gas infrastructure on the mooring quay.

Once Elering has agreed with the private sector on the final details of the construction of the connecting pipeline, the construction of the valve structure necessary for the interconnection of the future LNG terminal will begin in the territory of Elering's Paldiski compressor station. Elering already has most of the equipment needed for this.

In the second phase of the works, the onshore section of the interconnecting pipeline from the compressor station to the sea will be built. From there, the pipeline will run along the sea bottom to the mooring quay. Elering already possesses the necessary 12-meter pipe sections necessary for the construction of the pipeline onshore and in the sea.

Complex work also lies ahead in the construction of the mooring quay of the future LNG terminal. The quay will be fitted, among other things, with seven quick shut-off valves of different types, which must ensure safety in the event of an accident. Electricity and communication infrastructure and a kiosk for automation equipment will also be built on the quay.  

Elering has established a special project team for the construction of the connecting pipeline, which mostly includes engineers with experience in the construction of the Balticconnector undersea gas interconnection between Estonia and Finland.