Poland's gas transmission system operator, Gaz-System S.A. and Lithuania's natural gas transmission system operator, AB Amber Grid signed a tripartite agreement with the European Union's (EU) Innovation Network Executive Agency (INEA) on the financial assistance of the EU to the Project Preparatory Works for the Poland-Lithuania Gas Interconnection (GIPL). Under this Agreement, the Project was granted financial assistance of the EU of €10.6m under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). The GIPL project aims at the integration of the Baltic States gas markets into a single gas market of the EU, at the diversification of gas supply sources and at the enhancement of the security of gas supplies.
Preparatory works for the implementation of the GIPL Project were started back in 2009. The year 2011 saw the preparation of the GIPL Business Environment Analysis and the year 2013 marked the preparation of the Feasibility Study of the GIPL Project. The GIPL Project's Environmental Impact Assessment Procedures on the Polish territory began back in 2013 and are scheduled for completion in 2016.
The prospective gas transmission pipeline will connect gas compressor stations of the two countries: the Lithuanian Gas Compressor Station of Jauniūnai and the Polish one of Rembelszczyzna. Total length of the prospective gas pipeline is 534 km, of which about 357 km fall within the territory of Poland. The GIPL Project is estimated to require an investment of €558m, of which €422m in the territory of Poland and €136m in the territory of Lithuania. Launch into operation of the GIPL is scheduled for 2020.