Significance
The Dzhubga – Lazarevskoye – Sochi gas pipeline has been included into the Program approved by the Russian Government and aimed at the Olympic facilities construction and development of Sochi as a mountain-climatic resort.
The gas pipeline construction will help achieve the following objectives:
- ensure reliable energy supply to the Winter Olympic Games host city and deliver gas to the Olympic facilities;
- promote gasification of the city of Sochi and the Tuapse District, as well as give a powerful impetus to improving the living standards of the population and developing the resort industry in these regions;
- considerably cut the energy deficit in the resort area on the Caucasian coast of the Black Sea.
Environmental protection
The Dzhubga – Lazarevskoye – Sochi gas pipeline will lay the foundation for preserving a healthy environment in a most climatically attractive and, therefore, the most cherished region of the country. Utilization of natural gas for heat and power generation will contribute to environmental stabilization of the region.
Gazprom pays great attention to environmental protection measures being taken during the gas pipeline construction, which is performed in compliance with all globally accepted standards and rules, and involves application of cutting-edge techniques and technologies.The gas pipeline construction schedule has been worked out with due regard to the most vital biocycles of the local fauna species, which is greatly important for the animal ecosystem preservation.
The Dzhubga – Lazarevskoye – Sochi gas pipeline construction rules out any disruption in the visual appearance of the regional landscape.
The offshore option of the gas pipeline route has considerably minimized allocation of industrial, agricultural and forest lands, as well as specially protected natural reservations.
The impact on the Black Sea ecosystem is minimized through optimum engineering and construction solutions for the offshore section. In particular, the specific features of the sea bottom were taken into account during the pipeline route selection. Prior to the construction start-up, foreign polluting objects were removed from the selected route of the pipeline.
The most suitable coastal line crossing procedure, directional drilling, considerably mitigates the environmental impact on the most vulnerable coastal ecosystems. As a result, it is possible to avoid interference with the habitats of coastal flora and fauna.
The project has obtained positive conclusions from the State Environmental Expertise and the State Environmental Expertise Department (Glavgosekspertiza).
Parameters
The gas pipeline will stretch for 177 kilometers, including the 159.5-kilometer offshore section. The pipeline route will run on the Black Sea bottom along the coastal line (approximately 4.5 kilometers away from the coast) to the Kudepsta gas distribution station near Sochi.
The 530-millimeter gas pipeline will have the annual throughput capacity of some 3.8 billion cubic meters.
Project status and deadlines
Gazprom commenced the gas pipeline construction in September 2009. In March 2010 the offshore section laying was launched in the Black Sea.