Lithuanian authorities add GIPL contractor to unreliable suppliers list due to possible Russian parts in gas pipeline

VILNIUS. March 19 (Interfax/BNS) - Alvora, the general contractor for the construction of the Gas Interconnection Poland-Lithuania (GIPL) pipeline, was included by Lithuanian authorities in its unreliable suppliers list amid media information about the use of parts of Russian origin during the construction of the pipeline, BNS said.

The unreliable suppliers list provided by the Lithuanian Public Procurement Service shows that Alvora was added on March 15.

After the media report and the Amber Grid company's (the operator of the gas pipeline and construction services customer) identification of shortcomings in the certification of parts, the prosecutor's office opened a pre-trial investigation.

As previously reported, there are about 150 bends in the gas pipeline that are of possible Russian origin, with a total cost of about 300,000 euro. Alvora still will not disclose its manufacturers. The general contractor says that Amber Grid's claim only applies to document compliance.

The nearly 500-million euro GIPL project was implemented by the gas transmission system operators of Lithuania and Poland, Amber Grid and Gaz-System. The gas pipeline launched on May 1, 2022, when the first physical and commercial supplies of gas began. The pipeline has an annual capacity of 2.1 bcm in the direction of Poland and about 2.7 bcm in Lithuania. Depending on resources and price, gas can be sent in both directions.