OGE to replace old pipeline

Rerouting of Südwestfalen pipeline in Schwerte-Ergste gets underway.

Gas transmission system operator Open Grid Europe GmbH (OGE) will be starting work to reroute the Südwestfalen pipeline (line no. 7) in Schwerte-Ergste today. The first step will be to build a construction road in the area of the waterworks followed by preparations for a fibre-optic cable duct to be installed parallel to the existing pipeline from Schützenstraße along the Ruhr Valley cycle path towards the river Ruhr.

The necessary preparatory work was largely completed by the end of last week, including excavations to identify any third-party infrastructure. Also, some of the material has already been delivered to site.

Stages 2 and 3 of the construction project are expected to start in mid-2025, taking the pipeline across the Ruhr floodplains from Elsebach to the Lindenufer road and then parallel to the Wannebach river as far as Lethmather Straße (B236).

The Südwestfalen pipeline supplies numerous municipal and industrial customers with natural gas. Repairing the pipeline in its current corridor right next to the B236 would have caused extensive traffic disruptions with partial or even full road closures over a period of at least one year, so OGE decided to relocate the pipeline which plays an important role for security of supply in the region. The work is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.