OREANDA-NEWS. September 17, 2012.  September the 12th was a Construction Inspection day for the GAZELLE gas pipeline, the Czech pipeline string of the Russian-European project NORD STREAM. In the course of the inspection, PJSC Stroytransgaz showed the construction route and made a report on the progress of works, which are now nearing completion. 

 The total gas pipeline length will be 166 km. Stroytransgaz has successfully designed and is now constructing the most complicated pipeline section. Its length is 52.3 km with 26 km of challenging terrain in the Ъstн nad Labem Region in the Czech Republic, where STG has completed the works successfully preserving the unique environment.

 By now, Stroytransgaz has welded over 40km of the gas pipeline and is planning to complete all the works this November under the contractual obligations to the Employer, Net4gas - the Czech Transmission System Operator for Gas. One of the projects’ special characteristics is the maximum pipes diameter -  1,420 mm. According to the calculations of Net4gaz specialists, the total weight of the pipes used for the GAZELLE project is 120 thousand tons, which is 12 times heavier than the Eifel Tower.

 In October 2011, Stroytransgaz completed the construction of the Border Delivery Station Brandov as a part of the project. The ceremony of the station commissioning was attended by the Czech President, Vбclav Klaus. The process solutions that STG had applied when constructing the station allow to transport gas between Germany and the Czech Republic in both directions.  Brandov is connected to the German gas pipeline Opal. Last winter the station was already supplying heat to Czech households.

 As Net4gaz pointed out, there were no projects similar to GAZELLE in the Czech Republic for over twenty years.  The gas pipeline goes from the north to the south of the country with pipeline branched to southern Germany, Austria, and the Balkan countries. This project is a key element of the Czech power system and is strategically important for Europe on the whole. The new way of Russian gas transmission to the European Continent will substantially enhance the security of energy supply to the European countries, secure the Russian gas supplies to Europe, and diversify the existing route through Ukraine.

 The project’s strategic significance and the participation of Stroytransgaz in it have provided the project with high status in Russian-Czech commercial relations, which are now on the rise. “This year will bring a historic record – the volume of the Czech export to Russia will exceed six bln USD”, Milan Govorka  - Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic -  announced on the previous day.