OPAL pipeline
OPAL pipeline near Weißenborn, Saxony
OPAL pipeline near Weißenborn, Saxony
Map of OPAL pipeline
Location
CountryGermany
General directionnorth-south
FromGreifswald (Lubmin)
ToOlbernhau
Runs alongsideGerman eastern border
General information
Typenatural gas
PartnersWintershall Dea
Gazprom
OperatorOPAL Gastransport GmbH & Co KG
Commissioned2011
Technical information
Length470 km (290 mi)
Maximum discharge35 billion cubic metres (1.2×10^12 cu ft) per year
Diameter1,400 mm (55 in)

The OPAL (Ostsee-Pipeline-Anbindungsleitung) is a natural gas pipeline in Germany alongside the German eastern border. The OPAL pipeline is one of two projected pipelines connecting the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to the existing pipeline grid in Middle and Western Europe, the other one being the NEL pipeline.

Route

Connecting pipelines

The 470-kilometre (290 mi) long pipeline runs from Lubmin near Greifswald to Olbernhau near German-Czech border.[1] It connects the Nord Stream pipeline with the JAGAL (distributes gas from the Yamal-Europe pipeline), and the STEGAL (distributes gas from the Central-European Russian gas transit system (Transgas) via Czechia and Slovakia) pipelines in Germany. On the German-Czech border the pipeline is connected with the Gazela Pipeline, to connect gas export pipelines in Czechia.[2]

Technical features

The diameter of the pipeline is 1,400 millimetres (55 in) and it has an operating pressure up to 100 bars (10,000 kPa).[1] The capacity of the pipeline is 35 billion cubic metres (1.2 trillion cubic feet) per year of natural gas. The compressor station in Radeland, Brandeburg, is built by Siemens.[3]

The pipeline cost around €1 billion. The construction was completed in 2011 and in August 2011 Nord Stream was connected with the OPAL pipeline.[4]

Project company

The pipeline was constructed by OPAL NEL TRANSPORT GmbH, a subsidiary of Wingas.[5] It is operated by OPAL Gastransport GmbH & Co KG, owned by WIGA Transport Beteiligungs-GmbH & Co. KG, a joint venture of Wintershall Dea and Gazprom.

Access by Gazprom

Polish state-run gas firm PGNiG and PGNiG Supply & Trading tried to restrict Gazprom's access to the pipeline. Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf lifted the restrictions [6]

After the decision Gazprom increased the throughput to 72.5 million m3/d (26.462 billion/year).

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Lochner, Stefan; Bothe, David (September 2007). "From Russia with Gas An analysis of the Nord Stream pipeline's impact on the European Gas Transmission System with the Tiger-Model" (PDF). EWI Working Paper. Institute of Energy Economics at the University of Cologne. 7 (2). Retrieved 2008-03-05.
  2. ↑ Markéta Hulpachová (2007-05-23). "RWE plans new pipeline". The Prague Post. Archived from the original on 2007-06-01. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
  3. ↑ "Siemens wins Baltic pipeline compressor order". Offshore. PennWell Corporation. 2010-03-17. Archived from the original on 2011-01-03. Retrieved 2010-03-18.
  4. ↑ Blau, John (2011-08-26). "Nord Stream pipeline now connected to German link". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
  5. ↑ "OPAL NEL TRANSPORT GmbH applies for exemption from regulation. Project company plans Nord Stream pipeline links" (Press release). Wingas. 2008-07-25. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2008-08-09.
  6. ↑ "Gazprom gets access to OPAL pipeline". 2017-07-31.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to OPAL (pipeline).
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.