Herrenknecht’s AVN machine constructs shore approach of Southeast Gateway Pipeline
TC Energy is developing the Southeast Gateway Project in Mexico. It consists of the construction of a marine pipeline that will transport natural gas, connecting the supply from Tuxpan, Veracruz, to delivery points in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, and in Paraíso, Tabasco.
Commissioned by TC Energy, Grupo Desarrollo Infrastructura S.A. de C.V. (GDI) reordered a Herrenknecht AVND2400 to construct one of the shore approaches of the Southeast Gateway Pipeline at Coatzacoalcos. In February 2024, GDI successfully recovered the AVND2400 in the Gulf of Mexico after completing an extremely long pipe jacking drive of 1,715 metres in length within 83 days.
The AVND2400 was retrieved from the seabed at a depth of 25 metres below sea level. This machine type was chosen in order to protect the marine environment, as it enables safe tunnelling operations by controlled face support. The machine was guided by VMT’s TUnIS Navigation MT navigation systems and Herrenknecht assisted the drive with round-the-clock support from a team of experts from nine nations.