BBL Pipeline

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The BBL Pipeline (Balgzand Bacton Line) is the first natural gas pipeline between the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Laying the pipeline between the Noord-Holland compressor station at Grasweg in Anna Paulowna (province of Noord-Holland) and Bacton terminal started on 14 July 2006. The pipeline became operational on 1 December 2006.

The overall length of pipeline is 235 kilometers of which offshore pipeline is around 230 kilometers. Pipeline diameter is 914 mm (36 inch) and working pressure is 135 atm. The initial capacity of pipeline is 10.5 bcm. The direction of gas flow is from the Netherlands to the UK. The overall cost of project is expected to be around 500 million euro.

The BBL is developed and operated by the BBL Company. The main shareholder of BBL Company is N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie with 60% of shares. Gas companies E.ON Ruhrgas Transport and Fluxys own both 20% of shares. Russian Gazprom is looking for 9% of BBL Company shares in exchange for 9% shares of the Nord Stream AG. BBL Pipeline will allow Gazprom to supply additional gas to the British market through the Nord Stream pipeline.