ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT BALTICCONNECTOR — ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT 2015 REPORT ASSESSMENT IMPACT — ENVIRONMENTAL BALTICCONNECTOR BALTICCONNECTOR Natural gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia 2015 Environmental impact assessment report Estonia ESTONIA BALTICCONNECTOR — ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT CONTACT INFORMATION Project Developers: Gasum Corporation Eero Isoranta Phone: +358 20 447 8652 [email protected] www.gasum.com AS EG Võrguteenus Priit Heinla Phone: +372 617 0028 [email protected] www.egvorguteenus.ee Coordinating authority for the EIA procedure in Estonia: Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications Taivo Linnamägi Phone: +372 62 56 342 [email protected] Coordinating authority for the EIA procedure in Finland: Uusimaa Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment Leena Eerola Phone: +358 295 021 380 [email protected] EIA consultant: Pöyry Finland Oy Terhi Rauhamäki Phone: +358 10 33 21420 [email protected] Entec Eesti OÜ Andres Piirsalu Phone: +372 50 19662 [email protected] Published by: Gasum Corporation Layout and design: Kreab Base map data: © Maanmittauslaitos, Lupanro 48/MML/14, Estonian Land Board Base Map ETAK (agreement No EP-B2–2713) Cover photo: Ramboll The EIA report and related material are available online at http://www.balticconnector.fi and at http://www.egvorguteenus.ee/kasulikku/balticconnector/ The project’s EIA report for Finland is available in English at http://www.balticconnector.fi 2 BALTICCONNECTOR — ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT FOREWORD Gasum Corporation (hereinafter Gasum) and the Esto- negative impacts caused by alternatives of proposed nian company AS EG Võrguteenus are jointly planning activity in Estonia and Finland. The EIA procedure the Balticconnector natural gas pipeline to intercon- covers the natural gas pipeline route from Ingå, Finland, nect the Finnish and Estonian natural gas distribution to Paldiski, Estonia. The examination of the pipeline networks. route in Estonia and Finland covers the routing alter- The environmental impact assessment (EIA) natives proposed. procedure for the project has been conducted in both The Balticconnector natural gas pipeline aims to countries in compliance with national legislation. The considerably improve regional access to and the supply procedure has involved the production of separate security of natural gas and promote the reliability of environmental impact assessment reports (EIA reports) natural gas distribution in different circumstances in Estonia and Finland. This EIA report was compiled in Finland and the Baltic states. The Balticconnector by Pöyry Finland Oy and the EIA program by Ramboll. natural gas pipeline project is categorized as a priority Information presented in the EIA program has been project in the guidelines for trans-European energy utilized as appropriate extent in the preparation of the networks (TEN-E) and has been granted financial assis- EIA report. tance by the EU. The Balticconnector is also included This report is the EIA report for Estonia presenting in the EU’s list of Projects for Common Interest (PCI) and comparing the environmental impacts in Estonia published in autumn 2013, and the related applications of the alternatives presented in the Environmental for EU support were submitted in August 18, 2014. Impact Assessment Program. A brief description of The Balticconnector natural gas pipeline will be the project’s key impacts in Finland is presented as connected to the existing gas network in Finland and an appedix (appendix 5). The full Finnish EIA report is Estonia and to a regional LNG terminal. The LNG available on the Gasum website in Finnish and English terminal development project is also currently underway. (http://www.balticconnector.fi). Due to the interna- The Balticconnector will enable a bidirectional flow of tional dimension of the project, the EIA procedure has natural gas between Finland and Estonia. also been carried out in compliance with the UNECE The Balticconnector natural gas pipeline project was Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in one of the mini pilot projects of the IMPERIA project a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention) and the co-funded by the EU Imperia 2015. The multi-criteria bilateral Agreement between Estonia and Finland on decision analysis (MCDA) practices and tools developed Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary in the IMPERIA project were employed as appropriate Context. in the assessments of environmental impacts and their The aim of the environmental impact assessment significance in Finland and Estonia. has been to give permitting authority information about possibilities for the prevention and mitigation of Gasum Corporation, Espoo, April 2015 3 BALTICCONNECTOR — ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTACT INFORMATION . 2 FOREWORD.................................................................................... 3 APPENDICES AND SEPARATE REPORTS ........................................................ 7 1 SUMMARY .................................................................................. 8 GLOSSARY .................................................................................... 16 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT ............................................................. 19 2.1 Project developers....................................................................... 19 2.2 Purpose of the project ................................................................... 19 2.3 Project background ...................................................................... 19 2.4 Route alternatives ....................................................................... 20 2.4.1 Previously studied route alternatives ............................................... 20 2.4.2 Assessed alternatives in the EIA procedure.......................................... 22 3 TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT ................................................. 29 3.1 Project design stages .................................................................... 29 3.2 Properties of natural gas ................................................................. 29 3.3 Technical characteristics of the natural gas pipeline ......................................... 30 3.3.1 Pipeline coating ................................................................. 30 3.3.2 Protection against corrosion . 31 3.4 Construction ............................................................................ 32 3.4.1 Seabed intervention .............................................................. 32 3.4.2 Infrastructure crossings .......................................................... 36 3.4.3 Munition removal ................................................................ 37 3.4.4 Offshore pipe-laying.............................................................. 37 3.4.5 Pipeline tie-in ................................................................... 40 3.4.6 Landfalls ........................................................................ 40 3.4.7 Construction of onshore pipeline sections and related functions ....................... 42 3.4.8 Project logistics.................................................................. 44 3.5 Pre-commissioning and commissioning..................................................... 44 3.5.1 Flooding and hydrostatic testing . 44 3.5.2 Gauging and cleaning............................................................. 45 3.5.3 De-watering and drying ........................................................... 45 3.5.4 Nitrogen purging and gas filling.................................................... 45 3.6 In-use operations and control ............................................................. 46 3.7 Schedule of the project................................................................... 46 3.8 Relationship of the project with other relevant strategies and planning documents .............. 46 3.8.1 Conformity with European Union and other international energy and environmental objectives ......................................................... 46 3.8.2 Conformity of the project with objectives of Estonian environmental protection ......... 47 3.8.3 Relationship of the assessed project with strategic planning documents ................ 48 4 THE EIA PROCEDURE FOR THE PROJECT .................................................... 51 4.1 The international EIA procedure ........................................................... 51 4.1.1 The Espoo Convention . 51 4.1.2 Bilateral agreement between Estonia and Finland .................................... 51 4.2 The EIA procedure in Estonia.............................................................. 52 4.2.1 Applying the EIA procedure in Estonia .............................................. 52 4.2.2 Initiation of the EIA procedure . 53 4.2.3 EIA program phase ............................................................... 53 4.2.4 EIA report phase ................................................................ 54 4.2.5 Permitting phase................................................................. 54 4 BALTICCONNECTOR — ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT 4.2.6 Projects of Common Interest (PCI) ................................................. 55 4.3 Schedule of the EIA procedure ............................................................ 55 4.4 Parties to the EIA procedure .............................................................. 55 4.5