The products of ChelPipe, a Chelyabinsk metallurgical concern controlled by Russian oligarchs and ordered by Alvora two years ago, could be used to build the Lithuanian section of the strategic Lithuanian-Polish gas pipeline (GIPL).Although the use of Russian parts was banned, they were able to obtain certificates from European manufacturers.And the data of the LRT Research Department show that during the construction, Alvora gave instructions to remove the marks of the parts manufacturers.Data collected by the LRT Research Division show that Russian details from a metallurgical group owned by sanctioned oligarch Dmitry Pumpianski could have been used to build a section of the strategic gas pipeline with Poland, despite the ban.The strategic Polish-Lithuanian gas pipeline (GIPL) was launched in May.However, the developer of the project, the state-owned gas transmission system operator Amber Grid and the parent company Epso-G do not refute the suspicions that Russian fittings were used in the construction of the Lithuanian section of the pipeline.Two years ago, LRT's Research Division found out that one of the contractors for the strategic gas pipeline to Poland, Alvora, had signed a deal with Swiss-registered company Global Pipe Trade AG, which later changed its name to ChelPipe International.The Swiss company was in fact owned by the Russian concern ChelPipe Group.The concern operated the largest Chelyabinsk metallurgical plant in Russia.ChelPipe Group was also one of the suppliers of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which has always been considered controversial in Lithuania and was interrupted after the war against Ukraine initiated by Russia.From 2021ChelPipe is also owned by TMK Group and Dmitry Pumpianski, an oligarch sanctioned by the war in Ukraine.Fittings were ordered from the GIPL plants of the Chelyabinsk concern in Russia.2020April 3The deal between Alvora and ChelPipe Trade AG amounted to almost 0.5 million.euros.Alvora had to receive the special parts from Russia by June 30.However, Alvorai was not allowed to implement this transaction when in 2020.At the beginning of June, the LRT Research Division announced the fittings for the strategic gas pipeline from Russia.However, the available documents show that the certificates issued by the Romanian and Polish factories for the construction of tripods and elbows used by GIPL contain errors and are inaccurate.In addition, the grade of steel used in the production of the parts specified in the certificates coincides with the type of steel used exclusively in the Sot and Eterno plants of the Russian Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Concern.These plants are listed in 2020.Alvora's agreement with Global Pipe Trade AG.The documents available to the LRT Research Division show clear indications that European Union (EU) manufacturer certificates could have been issued in EU-compliant plants for parts actually made in Russia and could be a cover for the GIPL project supplying products purchased from ChelPipe Global Trading SA.Detailed information on the certificates that legalized the products of the Russian ChelPipe concern, according to LRT, is provided by Amber Grid and Epso-G.However, the executives and board members of these companies are avoiding questions about specifically from the Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Concern in Russia back in 2020.ordered parts.The Minister of Energy Dainius Kreivys also refused to answer the questions of the LRT Research Department.European certificates - steel used in Russian factoriesAlvora, Amber Grid and Epso-G are not responsible for the fate of the Russian metallurgical concern, which was ordered to supply the pipelines ordered in place of the Russians and how this may have affected the delayed construction of the GIPL.Alvora says it has signed new contracts with European manufacturers.Amber Grid has determined that this supplier is not suitable and the capacity reservation was canceled in 2020.June 6The pipeline fittings for the GIPL project were supplied by the Polish company Tasta and the Romanian company Sara.We invite you to contact Amber Grid, the client of the project, for answers to other questions, - writes Tomas Šidlauskas, the head of Alvora, to the LRT Research Department.Alvora received an order from Amber Grid to terminate the deal with the Russians 24 days before it was implemented.Under the agreement, ChelPipe Trade AG had to transfer at least 30% of its production specifically to GIPL.order amounts.Alvora's partner Šiaulių Dujotiekio Statyba shares suspicions that Alvora used these Russian details in the GIPL project.At present, the former partners also have legal disputes over the work not paid for during the project."Our long-term practice in this market allows us to assume that it was physically impossible to order, produce and deliver the mentioned materials from other manufacturers during such a period of time," Leonas Čepulis, the head of Šiauliai Pipeline Construction, wrote in his answers.He also told the LRT Research Division that the company under his management had not been asked about the contract with the Swiss division of the Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Concern.According to L. Čepulis, based on the agreement between his company and Alvora, Šiaulių Dujotiekio Statyba had prepared a contract for the purchase of fittings with the Italian company Allied Fittings and Flanges Internacional Srl."However, Alvora has a 75% shareholding under the joint venture agreement.votes, decided unilaterally at the committee meeting that it would be the supplier to find the supplier for the fittings.After making such a decision, no issues were further coordinated with us, there was no information on the agreement with the branch of the Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Concern in Switzerland "Šiauliai Dujų Statyba", - writes L. Čepulis.L. Čepulis 'suspicions that even when the deal was ordered to be canceled, Russian products could be used in GIPL's construction were reinforced by Alvora's behavior - his company's employees received instructions from Alvora to remove the manufacturers' marks from the fittings."We have told Amber Grid and Epso-G that Alvora's construction managers have instructed our locksmiths to mechanically grind some manufacturers' markings off the fittings.An Epso-G representative orally confirmed that our information was confirmed, ”says L. Čepulis in his written answers.Alvora has contacted Amber Grid about this.Neither Amber Grid nor Epso - G responded to the deregistration questions.L. Čepulis says that he is still unable to request all the documents related to the construction of GIPL from Alvora, therefore he can only substantiate his doubts about the origin and reliability of the fittings.After all, when the analysis of the connecting parts certificates submitted by Alvora's customer Amber Grid started, it became clear that there were not only gross errors, detailed dimensional inaccuracies, but also weight discrepancies and repetitions.It was also found that the readings recorded on the certificates coincided with the readings normally used to mark the production of the Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Concern plants.For example, one of the certificates issued by the Polish company Tasta states that the fitting is made of L485QE steel.Neither Tasta nor any other manufacturer certified by Alvora, SC Sara SRL, a Romanian company, has so far generally used steel of this mark in its production.Steel is also not included in the standard steels specified in the EU standard for fittings.However, this type of steel is specified in Alvora's transaction with ChelPipe Global Trading SA and is used exclusively at the Eterno plant of the Chelyabinsk metallurgical concern in Russia.The name "Eterno" is listed in 2020.agreement between Alvora and Global Pipe Trade AG.Another coincidence in the documents is that when signing the new contracts with Sara and Tasta, it chose the steel type L485QE from the steel variations offered by the European producers Alvorai.In practice, such coincidences tend to be unusual and suggest that the certificates issued by Tasta and SCSara SRL were a cover for Alvora to use the products ordered in Chelyabinsk.In addition, the marks on the sheet metal in the European certificates presented by Amber Grid coincide with the markings on the metal produced at the Magnitogorsk Metallurgical Plant (MMK) in Russia and comply with the Russian product standard GOST.Identical drawings from different factories did not slip out of sight, and Amber Grid did not pay attention to the wrong dates when accepting certificates from Alvora.The documents state that Alvora's fittings were inspected by Amber Grid in 2020.The certificates date from 1 October 2020 and the certificates state that the parts will be manufactured several weeks later.October 14All allegations were made to GIPL customer Amber Grid.They were also contacted by the European Office of Delegated Prosecutors in Lithuania.In February, Amber Grid, together with its parent company Epso-G, initiated a special investigation."After receiving information last week about possible non-compliance of the fittings certificates used by GIPL with the requirements of EU and Lithuanian legal acts and technical regulations, a joint Amber Grid and Epso-G commission was convened, which is currently conducting an internal investigation into the authenticity of the certificates." Amber Grid's communications department wrote to the research department in February.At the end of the commission, Epso-G spokesman Antanas Bubnelis promised to answer any questions.However, after the investigation, both companies closed the wall of silence.Not only the detailed conclusions of the commission, but also the personal composition of the commission that examined the circumstances of the GIPL in Russian details became a mystery.The LRT Research Division received a reply from Amber Grid that, to the best of Amber Grid's knowledge, no details had been installed from Global Pipe Trade AG and that this did not create an obligation for Amber Grid to explain which contract the contractor had. potentially had or has had orders other than the GIPL project ’.By sending additional questions to Amber Grid and Epso-G, instead of answering the questions, it was reiterated that all parts used in the construction of the GIPL have been issued with EU manufacturer's certificates.We have not yet received any answers to the questions sent to Sara and Tasta.Amber Grid maintenance - perforatedAlvora, which implements state orders not only in Lithuania, but also in Russia and Belarus in 2019.won the strategic GIPL construction project together with the partner Šiauliai gas pipeline construction.The competition was accompanied by scandals from the first day, and it was delayed, so there was a threat that Lithuania would be late in fulfilling its obligations.The client of the project, Amber Grid, has undertaken to draw up a plan to manage the risks to national security, as the transaction has raised questions specifically for the National Security Commission under the Government.Alvora's business in neighboring countries posed a risk, and Nikolai Kolesnik, Alvora's main shareholder, did not hide his contacts with high-ranking officials in those countries.Alvora expanded its business in Belarus and Russia when it built a strategic pipeline section in Lithuania.Alvora only announced its intention to withdraw from Russia and Belarus on March 25 this year.The selection procedure for subcontractors and material suppliers was strictly regulated in the GIPL contract, and all subcontractors from whom works and materials were procured had to obtain the approval of Amber Grid.Head of Amber Grid Nemunas Biknius LRT Research Department in 2020explained that Alvora had been met on a weekly basis as part of a multi-level plan for managing national security risks.Orders and purchases of materials and equipment for the construction of the system to be approved during the meetings.However, even under these conditions, at least one contract was monitored by state-owned enterprises.According to the documents available from the LRT Research Department, GvL signed an agreement on the tripods and elbows with Alvora, a company registered in Switzerland, Global Pipe Trade AG in 2020.April 3However, on 28 May of the same year.When asked about such a contract, the head of Amber Grid N. Biknius stated that he did not know such a supplier.However, a few days later, on 1 June, the LRT Research Division received confirmation that Amber Grid was aware that “the construction of the GIPL following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of an equipment manufacturer in southern Italy supplier from Switzerland for the purchase of elbows and tees. "“The value of these elements makes up 0.2% of the total project.(about 150 thousand euros).The compliance of these elements with the European standard will have to be confirmed by the issued certificates, and if necessary, the equipment will be checked for the actual compliance with the documents provided by the supplier, ”Amber Grid wrote in a letter to the LRT Research Department.In fact, the amount quoted in the transaction between Alvora and Global Pipe Trade AG is much higher, amounting to almost EUR 0.5 million.euros.And the southern Italian producer, according to information available from the LRT Research Department, has never ceased operations.In addition, Amber Grid's reply to the LRT Research Division did not mention that the "Swiss supplier" was in fact a Russian concern.Alvora responded to the transaction without hiding information, as it had transactions with this supplier in previous projects, such as the construction of the Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia.According to T. Šidlauskas, the head of Alvora, the suppliers of Poland, Romania and Switzerland were evaluated when choosing an alternative supplier.However, Global Pipe Trade AG has offered the shortest delivery time for products that meet all the requirements of the GIPL design conditions and technical design products."The products of this supplier are also used in other Alvora facilities built not only in Lithuania", - 2020.said T. Šidlauskas.However, when GIPL officially asked the Russian Minister of Energy Sigismund Vaičiūnas about the details, he stated that the supplier mentioned by Amber Grid from Switzerland would not be selected.The Minister stated that he was informed about the transaction of the contractor Alvora, which is building GIPL, with the division of the Russian metallurgical concern only when the LRT Research Division became interested in it.The Lithuanian section of the strategic pipeline GIPL was not the last project of Amber Grid and Alvora.This year, Alvora won 5.5 million.The tender announced by Amber Grid for the modernization of Šiauliai and Telšiai gas distribution stations.The agreement was signed on March 25, the same day Alvora announced the closure of its operations in Russia and Belarus.