“This is an exceptional day for Lithuania and Poland, as well as for other neighbors in the Baltic region Latvia, Estonia and Finland. This is the day when we consolidate our energy independence. This is the day when we strengthen our resilience to political pressure and energy blackmail from the East,” the President underlined at the opening ceremony.
According to Gitanas Nausėda, Russia’s war against Ukraine has once again demonstrated that Russia has never been a trusted partner, and its aggression has opened eyes for many Europeans. “That’s why Lithuania, together with Poland and the other Baltic States, firmly declares: NO – to Russian gas, NO – to Russian oil, NO – to financing the aggressor. The whole region is now ready to declare the same message. The GIPL connects Lithuania and Poland with additional ties. By diversifying energy supply routes and sources, it further strengthens our energy union and mutual assistance,” the President said.
Gitanas Nausėda pointed out that already the next day, the LNG from the United States, delivered through LNG terminal in Klaipėda, would flow to Poland via the GIPL pipeline. This would be the best and strongest response to Russian actions such as cutting off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria.
“History repeats itself before our eyes: in 2006, after PKN Orlen acquired the Mažeikiai oil refinery, Russia shut down the Druzhba oil pipeline. Now gas supplies to Poland have been switched off. But both 16 years ago and now, we stand prepared. Back then, it was the Būtingė oil terminal that saved us. Now, the GIPL link will help Poland out,” stated Gitanas Nausėda.
The President expressed his belief that the Polish-Lithuanian pipeline would soon be used to supply gas to Ukraine, too. This would reaffirm the wider regional benefits that the GIPL could bring and, at the same time, its strategic importance.
President Gitanas Nausėda stressed the need to continue strengthening the energy security and resilience of the neighboring states, the region, and the entire European Union. “Today we already have gas interconnections, LNG terminals, electricity interconnections. However, to be safe and secure we have to overcome one more challenge. We all have to speed up the implementation of a key electricity independence project – the synchronization of the Baltic States with continental Europe. I am confident that we can do it,” the President underlined.
The GIPL pipeline integrates the Baltic and Finnish gas markets into a single EU gas market and diversifies gas supply sources and routes. It ensures security and reliability of natural gas supply, enables more efficient use of gas infrastructure in the region, and increases gas trade liquidity in the Baltic-Polish areas.
The length of the GIPL is 508 km, of which 165 km are in the territory of Lithuania. The pipeline runs from the Jauniūnai natural gas compressor station in the Širvintos district to the Hołowczyce GCS on the Polish side. The GIPL project is worth approximately EUR 500 million, of which around EUR 300 million is EU-funded. The project was implemented by the Lithuanian and Polish natural gas transmission system operators Amber Grid and GAZ-SYSTEM.