Poland-Lithuania gas link to be delayed

The Gas Interconnection Poland-Lithuania (GIPL) pipeline will be completed by the end of 2019, Lithuanian gas pipeline operator Amber Grid told Reuters on Thursday. This means a one-year delay for the project. “The timeline was updated because the decision of European institutions on financing the project was put (back) to 2015, instead of 2014, as was expected,” Amber Grid was quoted as saying. “According to an updated plan, the pipeline's stretch in Lithuania is to be completed by June 2019, and the one in Poland by December 2019,” the company also said. “Therefore the GIPL pipeline will come into operation from 2020.” Amber Grid is working on the project together with Polish grid operator Gaz-System. They have filed for EU financing for about 70 percent of the €558 million total cost of the gas link construction.