STEGAL. From east to west.

In October 1991, work was started on the 314 km long STEGAL (Sachsen-Thüringen-Erdgas-Anbindungsleitung, Saxony-Thuringia natural gas pipeline). The DN 800 pipeline was put into operation just one year later. It connects the Czech and Slovakian pipeline systems for Russian natural gas to the MIDAL from Olbernhau in the state of Saxony.

To satisfy the growing demand for imported Russian gas the STEGAL Loop, which was built in just 7 months, was connected to the grid in March 2006. With a total length of 97 km, the DN 1000 loop sections run parallel to the original STEGAL pipeline. They have increased the pipeline's capacity by more than 400,000 m³/h.