Under Valmiera Highway, the crossings of two Inčukalns gas storage loops will be repaired

The sole operator of the gas transportation and storage system in Latvia, JSC Conexus Baltic Grid ("Conexus"), plans to reconstruct the crossings of two loops of the Inčukalns underground gas storage under the Inčukalns–Valmiera–Estonian border highway (A3), according to information in the Electronic Procurement System, reports LETA.

"Conexus" announced an open negotiation procedure for the reconstruction of the crossings of two loops under the A3 road.

According to the procurement documentation, the estimated timeframe for the construction works and preparation of documentation, excluding the commissioning of the facility, for crossing B is set from July 1 to December 1, 2026. For crossing A — from July 1 to December 1, 2026, after the completion of works on crossing B, or from July 1 to December 1, 2027. The deadlines may be adjusted depending on the operational mode of the gas storage.

Company representative Dace Baltabola noted in a comment to the LETA agency that one of the main tasks of "Conexus" is to ensure the safe and uninterrupted transportation and storage of natural gas. To guarantee the safety of the infrastructure and compliance with technical requirements, the company regularly conducts maintenance, including inspections and diagnostics of communications.

The reconstruction of the loops, that is, the pipelines connecting the well or their group with the gas collection point, is necessary because significant corrosion of the protective casing was detected during the inspection of the crossing under the A3 highway, which will reduce its load-bearing capacity in the near future. A conclusion was made about the need for replacement.

Determining the cost of reconstruction is part of the current procurement procedure, and the price will be proposed by the participants. After the procurement is completed, the contractor and the exact cost of the works will be known.

It was previously reported that "Conexus" had a turnover of 94.77 million euros last year, and profit rose to 38.4 million euros.

"Conexus" is the sole operator of natural gas transportation and storage in Latvia. The company is engaged in the maintenance and modernization of storage infrastructure, makes necessary investments in its development, monitors the stability of the storage, and is also responsible for reserving and selling capacities.

The largest shareholder of "Conexus" is the state-owned company "Augstsprieguma tīkls" (68.46%). 29.06% of the shares belong to the fund MM Infrastructure Investments Europe Limited, managed by the Japanese company Marubeni, and 2.48% to other shareholders.