After significant challenges and a considerable increase in costs, the gas pipeline to Lolland-Falster is nearing completion. The 115-kilometer pipeline, which has been the subject of intense debate, is expected to be able to deliver gas to Lolland-Falster by the end of August. The Danish Energy Agency has given the green light for the pipeline to transport up to 290 million cubic meters of natural gas annually.
The project will secure gas supply to the sugar factories in Nakskov and Nykøbing Falster, which have so far been dependent on heavy fuel oil and coal. This transition to gas is expected to significantly reduce the factories’ CO2 emissions. The construction phase has faced several challenges, especially due to the weather. Heavy rainfall has made it difficult to keep the trenches dry, causing delays in the project. The cost of the gas pipeline has also become significantly higher than originally expected.
Although the project was initially estimated to cost under 800 million Danish kroner, the actual costs have increased by over 660 million kroner, an increase of almost 84 percent. This cost increase led the Danish political party called The Radical Left (De Radikale) to consider scrapping the project. However, the government chose to continue, primarily to reduce dependence on Russian gas and to enable the construction of a biogas plant in Lolland. Once the biogas plant is operational, it is expected that Lolland-Falster will be able to export excess biogas to the rest of the gas network in Zealand.
The gas pipeline is designed to transport both natural gas and biogas, with the potential to also transport hydrogen in the future, although this would require an upgrade of the components. The project represents a step forward towards a more sustainable energy supply, as it will reduce the region’s CO2 emissions and increase energy supply security.