Germany – Construction work for gas pipelines – DE40_HPL2_ETL187 Neubau der Energietransportleitung Achim-Lehringen

The contracting authority, Gasunie Deutschland Transport Services GmbH (GUD) based in Hannover - a subsidiary of N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie – operates a approximately 4,600 km long gas pipeline network in northern Germany. Due to its geographical location, the approximately 17,000 km long pipeline network of Gasunie in the Netherlands and Germany serves as a gas hub for Northwest Europe and makes a significant contribution to secure energy supply in Germany and Europe. The "Hyperlink Project" of GUD - to which the energy transport pipeline ETL187 from Achim to Lehringen in the district of Verden, which is being tendered here, belongs - is a crucial component in the construction of the hydrogen core network in Germany, which has been approved by the Federal Network Agency. Hyperlink is a approximately 1,000 kilometre long hydrogen network, the completion and operation of which is the direct responsibility of GUD. By connecting Germany with the hydrogen capacities in the Netherlands and Denmark, it links markets and provides GUD's transport customers with reliable access to climate-neutral energies. In this way, GUD makes a substantial contribution to securing the industrial location of Germany. Due to its importance, ETL187 is a project funded under IPCEI (Important Project of Common European Interest). The contracting authority is tendering the following service as the project promoter and pipeline network operator: General contracting services for the construction of the energy transport pipeline ETL 187 from Achim to Lehringen, including station buildings. This includes pipeline construction (incl. welding and coating work) – whereby the pipeline material together with all associated further "Long-Lead-Items" will be provided by the contracting authority – as well as all necessary earthworks and excavation work, the construction of special structures/crossings, valve stations, water management, eMSR and reclamation work. The scope of services also includes permissible or pre-approved construction preparatory measures prior to the plan approval decision and the procurement of any necessary individual permits and the finalisation of the execution planning. The award of the main construction services after contract award is subject to a permit reservation (receipt of the plan approval decision). Project details: Total route length: approximately 38.2 km (of which approximately 2.45 km will be realised as part of another project of the contracting authority's and must be connected) Width of working strips: 42 m Pipeline diameter: DN 1400, maximum permissible operating pressure: 84 bar Construction method: open and closed installation. The pipeline material (pipes made of high-strength steel) will be provided by the contracting authority and must be installed by the contractor. The contractor is responsible for the proper storage of the supplied material on the 6 pipe storage sites to be set up by him and for the transport of the material to the installation site. Technical peculiarities: Production of approximately 236 field bends, plus 31 factory bends and approximately 131 special structures for crossing traffic routes, third-party lines, railway facilities or waters/marshes in open/closed construction method, two of which with a length of over 600 m each in the microtunnelling method; Construction of shut-off/valve stations with a regular distance of 10-18 km; Cathodic protection of the pipeline and facilities against corrosion and protection against impermissible inductive coupling by overhead lines or railway tracks; Underground co-laying of a companion cable for the purpose of data exchange and plant control. Forecast implementation dates: - Kick-off of the contractor with the contracting authority: immediately after award and contract signature (estimated early March 2027) - Start of (construction) preparatory measures, incl. onboarding/mobilisation before receipt of PLB: approximately early April 2027 - Start of main construction phase after receipt of PLB: approximately end of August 2027 - Completion of cold commissioning (partial acceptance; penalised target date): approximately end of July 2028 - Hot commissioning by the contracting authority / SV acceptance: estimated 01.09.2028 - Completion of reclamation work and final acceptance after handover of the complete final documentation by the general contractor: by June 2029 at the latest.