Balticconnector offshore pipelay ready for May start
April 3, 2019
Preparatory work has finished for the offshore gas pipeline of the Balticconnector project in the Baltic Sea.
Offshore staff
HELSINKI, Finland – Preparatory work has finished for the offshore gas pipeline of the Balticconnector project in the Baltic Sea.
Pipelay can now start as scheduled at the end of May, said project manager Tom Främling.
The first pipes have been delivered to the Paldiski South Harbor; the final consignment is being loaded in Greece and will be delivered before the end of April.
Next month, a winch will be installed in Inkoo to pull the offshore pipeline from the laybarge to shore. Then pipelay should progress at a rate of 2-3 km/d (1.2-1.8 mi/d) south toward Estonia.
Pipe finishing work will start in June, and in August, the offshore line will undergo pressure testing followed by drying and subsequent connection to onshore pipelines in Finland and Estonia.
Commercial operations should be ready to start in 2020.
The European Union has granted funding to cover 75% of the costs of theBalticconnector project.
