TESTING of the gas pipeline between Slovakia and Hungary that was to begin in September will be delayed. The delay, however, should not impact the start of the commercial operation scheduled for the beginning of next year, the SITA newswire reported on September 22.
According to the Hungarian daily Napi Gazdaság, the testing was originally planned to take place in July, but was then moved to September. Hungarian company MVM, which is responsible for the construction of the pipeline, declined to comment on the situation.
The Slovak side has declared for some time that it is prepared to begin the operation of the pipeline. The pipeline, whose construction started last spring, already contains gas at the level for operating pressure. The Slovak operator of the gas pipeline network, the company Eustream, is now waiting for work to finish in Hungary, as reported by SITA.
The gas interconnection between Slovakia and Hungary will connect the high-pressure transport systems between Veľké Zlievce (Banská Bystrica Region) and the Hungarian village of Vecsés in the suburbs of Budapest. The two-way pipeline, with an annual capacity at 4.38 billion cubic metres, is 110.7 kilometres long, of which 92.1 kilometres is in Hungary and 18.6 kilometres in Slovakia. The construction cost €170 million, of which €21 million was paid by Slovakia. The project was also supported by the European Union within the European Energy Programme for Recovery with €30 million, SITA wrote.
The Slovak-Hungarian gas pipeline should be part of the entire north-south connection that will connect LNG terminals in Croatia and Poland, and extend through all four countries of the Visegrad Group.
Source: SITA
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
