The safety of the GIPL pipeline is confirmed by tests, internal diagnostics and additional expertise carried out on the entire pipeline during construction and operation. Measurements of the chemical composition of the pipeline components, the quality and hardness of the steel, radiography of the welds and the thickness of the pipeline components meet and exceed the technical requirements of the project. The tests confirm that the pipeline is safe to operate, Amber Grid said.
In the summer of 2023, the British company Entegra carried out the planned internal diagnostics of the GIPL pipeline. The results showed that the pipeline is safe, functioning well and reliable. The few non-conformities identified are minor and, for case-by-case verification, the identified areas of the pipeline were excavated, inspected and re-lit in accordance with standards. After evaluating the results, the experts allowed the pipeline to continue operating.
In late 2023, an independent West Central Laboratory, accredited to LST EN ISO/IEC 17025 and the Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore Register for Marine and Offshore Structures, carried out detailed non-destructive testing on a representative sample of components. The experts concluded that the valves are safe to use.
In the autumn of 2002, an independent laboratory, Dekra, certified to ISO 17.025, carried out non-destructive and destructive mechanical tests on the welds. In accordance with standard 15.614 for the evaluation of welding processes, Dekra’s experts compared the parameters and concluded that the welds complied with the standard.
In the autumn of 2023, the Materials Testing Laboratory of the Institute of Mechanical Sciences, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, VGTU, submitted a test report on the technical documentation of the GIPL pipeline and its compliance with the technical design. The results indicate that the actual strength of the welded joints exceeds the design strength.
In the first half of 2022, prior to commissioning of the GIPL, all necessary tests were carried out, the pipeline welds were X-rayed, the most important ones were ultrasonically inspected and the pipeline was subjected to high-pressure hydraulic tests. High-resolution diagnostic equipment was used to check the internal geometry of the pipe by measuring the internal cavity of the pipeline with a special robot to look for possible mechanical damage. Once the internal diagnostics were positive, the pipeline was connected to the existing section of the gas transmission system.
In the autumn of 2022, the GIPL was tested at maximum capacity. The two tests were carried out to ensure that the pipeline would be able to transport the full flow of gas in accordance with the technical parameters of the GIPL construction both from Lithuania to Poland and from Poland to Lithuania without any problems.
Amber Grid has carried out and will continue to carry out more frequent inspections of the GIPL pipeline to ensure the safety of the facility.
GIPL is a project of strategic importance for Lithuania and Europe, enabling Lithuania to secure its energy independence. Amber Grid delivered the project on time and on budget. The pipeline will enable Lithuania and other European countries to obtain natural gas from an alternative source and further strengthen their energy independence. More than one billion cubic metres of gas have been transported through the pipeline during its lifetime.