East-West gas pipeline construction launches in Georgia
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Construction of the 20 kilometre Gori-Kareli section of the East-West pipeline has begun.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) programs in Georgia invested $3.8 million USD in the Gori-Kareli section construction. This section was part of the fourth phase of the rehabilitation of East-West Main Gas pipeline.
The launching ceremony to mark the beginning of construction works was attended by Georgia’s Deputy Energy Minister Ilia Eloshvili, general director of Oil and Gas Corporation David Tvalabeishvili and head of the Georgian mission for USAID Stephen Haykin.
The construction works will be implemented by Turkish company AHM Energy Gas Heating Systems and is planned to be completed in October 2014.
The project is being implemented as part of the Agreement on the US Assistance to Georgia, which concluded in 2010 between the Government of Georgia and USAID.
USAID allocated $78 million USD towards funding Georgia’s Oil and Gas Corporation’s (GOGC) energy infrastructure rehabilitation projects.
After the completion of the program, capacity of the pipelines located in the west will increase as DN 500 pipes will be replaced with DN 700.
The construction of Senaki-Poti 30 km section of the pipeline, the Abasha-Senaki 29 km section and the Kutaisi-Abasha 47 km section of the high pressure pipelines have already been implemented under Energy Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project (Phases I, II, III respectively).
The rehabilitation process of East-West Gas Pipeline has finished. Rehabilitation work included expansion of the pipeline, which will increase the capacity and reliability of gas being transported to the country's west.
The East-West Gas Pipeline used to deliver gas from Turkmenistan through Georgia has officially opened today.