Budimex will build the Warsaw gas pipeline for Gaz-System

Budimex has signed a contract with GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. for the general construction of the 28 km long Warsaw gas pipeline in the “build” system. This is another gas pipeline  after the Baltic Pipe section completed on time in 2022, implemented by the same Polish contractor. Budimex’s bid was rated the highest in the tender procedure and selected as the most advantageous in December 2022.

The gas pipeline runs from Rembelszczyzna to Mory on the north-western side of Warsaw. The net value of the contract is PLN 188 million.  The commencement of construction works is planned immediately after the contract is signed. The deadline for completion of the works is 24 months from the date of conclusion of the contract, i.e. in the first half of 2025. The warranty period is 36 months.

The Warsaw gas pipeline is a strategic infrastructure project for Warsaw and this region of Polish. Thanks to the construction of the new gas pipeline, access to natural gas will increase both for industrial customers of the residents of the Warsaw agglomeration. The operating gas pipeline will reduce the emission of harmful substances, which will improve air quality in the capital.

The investment also includes the construction of:

– fiber optic network,

– underground connection unit DN700/DN100 enabling connection of the existing Jabłonna gas station,

– a gas station located in the immediate vicinity of an existing gas station,

– switching systems consisting in connecting the constructed gas pipeline with the existing gas transmission pipeline,

– a pedestrian and bicycle path constituting an emergency access for fire services, 1.4 km long, running along the existing pedestrian and bicycle path,

– cathodic protection system with cathodic protection stations with anode earth electrodes and galvanic anode stations.

Modern technologies

Over 5 km of the route, i.e. about 1/5 of the gas pipeline’s length, will be made using trenchless methods – a total of 32 such crossings of various lengths are planned. Among them are five so-called long – two horizontal directional drilling (HDD) and three Direct Pipe passes. This way of carrying out the works significantly reduces interference with the natural environment – places of natural value, such as the Ławice Kiełpińskie Reserve on the Vistula River or the Młociński Park in Bielany, will remain intact.

To the passage under the bottom of the Vistula and the Ławice Kiełpińskie Reserve at a length of approx. 1149 meters, the technology of directional horizontal drilling, the so-called “directional drilling”, will be used. HDD. This will allow you to bypass the valuable natural area of the Reserve and maintain the continuity of river navigation. The second HDD drilling is planned in the Nowa Warszawa (Młociński) Forest. Trenchless routing of the gas pipeline on the route of approx. 1200 meters will preserve the local trees.  

The second trenchless method used will be Direct Pipe. In order to preserve the tree stand as much as possible, this technology will be used:

– under the Młociński Park at a length of approx. 526 m,

– in the area of allotment gardens in Bielany – the gas pipeline will be run there underground, without excavations over a length of approx. 320 m (the area along the Vistula Embankment adjacent to the Młociński Park),

– under ul. Modlińska Street and in the forest area on the west side of ul. Modlińska Street along the length of approx. 529 m (forest area from Modlińska Street towards the Vistula River).

Environmental protection

During the design of the Warsaw Gas Pipeline route, many environmental protection measures were taken. At the construction stage, the construction and assembly strip in forest areas will be narrowed to 15 meters (the standard width is 18-20 m) – this is the minimum width necessary to carry out the work and deliver the construction elements to the site.

A number of trenchless crossings have been designed along the gas pipeline route, especially in forested areas such as: Młociński Park, Nowa Warszawa Forest and forest area in the vicinity of ul. Modlinska. They will enable the pipeline to be routed deep underground, to the benefit of the environment.

After the completion of the construction, accompanying plantings of native species will be carried out in the investment zone. In addition, voluntary plantings are planned as part of pro-ecological activities for the natural environment in the Warsaw agglomeration.

The use of trenchless technologies not only significantly reduces interference with the environment, but also allows you to cross terrain obstacles – intersections with roads, viaducts and watercourses, e.g. rivers or canals, in a less burdensome way. During the construction works, the roads will be crossed using jacking, so that traffic will not be stopped.

All these activities have affected the final cost of construction, and their benefits for the environment are considerable. Particularly important for the preservation of the tree stand will be technically demanding trenchless passages.

Basic parameters and description of the investment:

• high-pressure gas pipeline,

• diameter: 700 mm,

• working pressure: 8.4 MPa,

• Length: Approx. 28.5 km.