Construction planning

Usable area during the construction period

Construction of two strings: The two strings of EUGAL will be laid underground at an axial distance of ten meters. A working strip of 52 meters (in forest areas: 42 meters) will be utilized throughout the construction phase. The working strip is composed of several subareas: Humus dump, roadway, preliminary strip, pipe pit, dump for excavated material. 

Construction of one string: If one string is constructed, the working strip has a width of 40 meters – in forest areas, the width is 32 meters.

Soil conservation

Our ground and soil are valuable resources. We are aware of our great responsibility and protect the environment and preserve the soil to the maximum possible extent in planning, building and operating EUGAL. Owners and farmers are included in planning at a very early stage. The fertile soil is removed carefully and stored before construction work begins. It is returned to its position when the construction work is finished. Once the building area has been stored, joint acceptance is conducted and recultivation is completed.

Construction process

Building EUGAL is a complex infrastructure project for which GASCADE has the great professional expertise required: We successfully completed the Baltic Sea Pipeline Link OPAL – the largest project of its kind in Europe in 2011. Learn how a pipeline is built from the example of OPAL. 

Surveying of the pipeline route
Searching the route for explosive ordnance
Archaeological surveys and excavations before construction commences
Delivery of pipes to the storage sites
Pipe storage site near the pipeline route
Removal of the topsoil
Bending of the pipes at the storage sites
Delivery of pipes to the route
Front end weld: Welding of the pipes to form a string
Archaeological surveys during the construction phase
Excavation of the pipe pit
Lowering of the pipeline sections
Joining of the pipeline sections
Welding in the pipe pit
Filling of the pipe pit
Laying of the cable conduit
Water pressure test
Return of the topsoil
Rehabilitation

Temporary ancillary construction areas

Temporary ancillary construction areas are created along the route. 

They include sites for storing the pipes. An area of roughly 10,000 m² is required for each site. These areas will be leased and restored after construction has been completed.

Shut-off stations

Every 15 to 18 kilometers, we erect shut-off stations to ensure safe operation of the pipeline. A station covers an area of around 1,000 to 2,000 m², including greening.

Protective strip as part of pipeline operation

Once laying of the pipeline has been completed and the route has been recultivated, there are special regulations on a protective strip alongside the route. The protective strip for the two EUGAL strings is a total of 22 meters in width, and 12 meters where only one string is laid. The land in this zone can be used for agriculture only to a very limited extent and a specific strip must be kept permanently free of trees and shrubs. Buildings are not allowed to be erected in the protective strip; other measures that impair or jeopardize operation or the pipelines themselves are also not permitted in the strips. Marker posts indicate the course of the pipeline after recultivation has been completed. These marker posts are often the only remaining visible signs along the pipeline in the countryside.