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The project will be executed by a newly established company created as a spin off from one of the leading players in the energy sector in Hungary, traditionally connected to the Hungarian national grid and power plants, but also regularly active with domestic electricity supply companies, large industrial consumers and foreign ordering parties for completing construction, maintenance, renewal and development assignments in the energy supply business. The new project company will carry on the gas licensee activity of its parent company.
The project consists in the development of the Hungarian section of the trans-European energy network Hungary-Slovakia gas interconnection, allowing bi-directional gas transfer between the natural gas transmission systems of Hungary and Slovakia. It will include a +/-94 km DN800/PN75 transmission pipeline routed from Vecsés through Gödöllő and Balassagyarmat to the Hungarian-Slovak border with a capacity of 14,4 Mm3-day, a new compression station, a new international metering station and block valve stations.
The planned pipeline will contribute to the overall integration of EUR gas grids as an important part of the North-South gas corridor from Poland to the Balkans and the Adriatic Sea. In addition, it would provide possibility that natural gas from Western-European directions or from Polish LNG terminals at the Baltic Sea could reach Hungary and Southern Europe.
Both the Hungarian and Slovak authorities have required EIAs. In Hungary, advanced draft environmental impact studies have been prepared for public consultation. The final environmental decision is expected for Q3 2012. In order to minimise impacts, the pipeline is planned to share the corridors of existing gas and crude oil pipelines for 95% of the route, which would have to be widened, and to avoid as much as possible sensitive areas. The planned route will nevertheless cross 3 Natura 2000 areas – the appropriate impact assessments have been carried out, and concluded that with the prescribed precautionary measures the project will have no significant negative impact. Espoo consultation with Slovakia will be completed in 2012. For the Slovakian section, the environmental permits have been received. The appropriate Natura 2000 and Habitats assessments were undertaken and impacts resulting from the scheme assessed as acceptable.
The promoter has declared to conduct the procurement for the project in accordance with the EU public utilities directive, including publication in the Official Journal of the EU. The project will be implemented under a turnkey EPC contract, for which the tender publication occurred in December 2011.