Minister Kocourek launches the Gazela gas pipeline linking the Czech Republic to Nord Stream

Minister Kocourek launches the Gazela gas pipeline linking the Czech Republic to Nord Stream

With a ceremonial strike on its foundation stone, Minister of Industry and Trade Martin Kocourek launched the construction of the new GAZELA gas pipeline today in Brandov, not far from Hora svaté Kateřiny. This will connect the Czech Republic to the planned Nord Stream gas pipeline. NET4GAS will be responsible for constructing the gas pipeline and is to invest EUR 400 million in it.

"Thanks to the Gazela gas pipeline the Czech Republic will gain another alternative access route to strategic resources, which is of key importance to ensure our energy security”, Minister Kocourek emphasised. "One of the recommendations we received from the recent audit of the Czech energy policy by the International Energy Agency was precisely to open additional connections to our neighbours.”

Today thus marked the beginning of the construction of the new border transfer station at Brandov. Gas will flow from Germany through it to the Czech Republic. Together with the construction of the transfer station, the laying of the first 300 metres of the gas pipeline that will take gas from the German border to Brandov was also begun. The total length of the GAZELA gas pipeline will be 169 kilometres.

"The route of GAZELA will mainly follow already operating Czech gas pipelines. There will only be completely new construction between Mladotice and Chomutov. The route of the future gas pipeline will however take it far away from towns and residential areas,” added Minister Kocourek.

The GAZELA gas pipeline will form part of the route that will take gas around Europe from the currently underused reserves in the northeast of the continent. It will extend the Nord Stream and OPAL gas pipelines. In the Czech Republic it will run from Brandov to the Rozvadov/Waidhaus transfer station. It will connect to the existing network of Czech gas pipelines at four places — at Jirkov, Sviňomazy, Přimda and at Brandov. At Rozvadov the gas pipeline will connect to the MEGAL transit system, which will take the gas on to southern Germany and to France.

In addition to Minister Kocourek, today’s ceremonial laying of the foundation stone was attended by President of the Ústí region Jana Vaňhová and Václav Bartuška, Czech Ambassador for Energy Security. Gas should start flowing through the GAZELA gas pipeline as early as by the end of 2012. This means that the constructors will build one metre of the gas pipeline on average every 2 minutes and 54 seconds. GAZELA should operate for up to 100 years.