This was expressed by the Secretary of Energy who explained that the gas pipeline has an extension of 573 kilometers. “This first stage will allow savings of US$1,700 million. And in 2024, which will be operational all year, it will allow savings of US$4,000 million. The impact is incredible, said Royón .
The Secretary of Energy, Flavia Royón, confirmed that the filling of the Néstor Kirchner gas pipeline begins and specified that “since it is an extensive gas pipeline of 573 kilometers with a significant diameter, then it takes 20 days to fill, but as of today it is already what is called fit to function and the filling begins.”
This Tuesday the President Néstor Kirchner gas pipeline was put into operation with the opening of the first valve. The filling process that will take the gas from the Tratayén plant, in Vaca Muerta, to the town of Salliqueló in the province of Buenos Aires began. The filling plan contemplates that what is enabled this day is the section that goes from kilometer 0 of the GPNK to kilometer 29.
The president expressed that the GPNK “is going to change the life of our country. It is the beginning to turn around our energy balance and start not needing energy imports and exporting. Today Vaca Muerta had no way to evacuate production, how to grow”.
He also added that “this first stage was carried out with resources from the National Treasury, without financing from other organizations or private, because its importance was understood. For the State, between what is saved from imports and subsidies, by being able to access a cheaper gas, the cost is recovered in two years”.
The Ministry of Economy and the Secretariat of Energy set a schedule for authorizations and start-up that will take around 15 days until concluding on July 9 with an inaugural act. The gas pipeline filling process responds to usual procedures, which involves progressive phases of sweeping and pressurizing the pipes.
“This first stage will allow savings of US$1.7 billion. And in 2024, which will be operational all year, it will allow savings of US$4,000 million. The impact is incredible. The country will not need major imports. It will be possible to buy LNG (through ships) for some winter peaks, occasional purchases, but large blocks of ships will not be needed. (Economy Minister) Sergio Massa prioritized the gas pipeline network”, added Flavia Royon.
It is the most important engineering work of the last 50 years, it was completed in a record period of 10 months. The work crosses four provinces: from the gas treatment plant in Tratayen, located in the heart of Vaca Muerta, through Río Negro, La Pampa, to Salliqueló.
Source: Ambito
