ZAGREB, 16 Jan (Hina) – Everything is ready for the start of work on the Zabok- Lučko gas pipeline, which, by a government decision, will be financed through the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism as part of the “Supporting Infrastructure for the LNG Terminal Strategic Investment Project”, Plinacro said on Thursday.
The gas pipeline operator said a contract was signed for the construction of the pipeline on a “turnkey” basis, worth €51.8 million (excluding VAT), with a consortium of bidders comprising Monter-Strojarske montaže, Pico Flow Controls, S.C.A.N., and Monting.
The planned completion of the work is 15 months.
Once the work on the Zlobin-Bosiljevo pipeline is completed and the pipes are delivered from Turkey, the implementation of this extremely important project for Croatia and neighbouring Slovenia can begin, Plinacro said.
The construction will allow increased flexibility in managing existing transport capacities and an increase in pipeline capacity to Slovenia from the current 0.26 billion to 1.5 billion cubic metres of gas.
The estimated cost of building the Zabok-Lučko gas pipeline is €78 million.
The expansion of the LNG terminal capacity on the island of Krk, along with the construction of the Zlobin-Bosiljevo, Zabok-Lučko, Bosiljevo-Sisak, and Sisak-Kozarac pipelines, will further diversify the supply of natural gas on the Croatian market, create conditions for additional supply to EU countries, and reduce dependence on Russian gas, said Ivica Arar, president of Plinacro’s Board.
At the beginning of the year, the government declared Plinacro’s €534 million (excluding VAT) “Supporting Infrastructure for the LNG Terminal Strategic Investment Project” a strategic investment.
It involves the construction of four pipelines with a total length of 216 kilometres and will position Croatia as a regional energy hub. The project involves the Omišalj-Zlobin, Zlobin-Bosiljevo-Sisak-Kozarac, and Kozarac-Slobodnica pipelines, as well as the Lučko-Zabok-Rogatec interconnection pipeline with Slovenia.
