Poland’s gas infrastructure operator Gaz-System is moving forward with the development of both the onshore and offshore parts of the planned FSRU-based LNG import project in Gdansk Bay.
Gaz-System already operates Poland’s first LNG import terminal in Swinoujscie while the country’s dominant gas firm PGNiG, now part of PKN Orlen, is in charge for all the supplies.
Poland’s LNG imports via the Swinoujscie terminal rose 57 percent in 2022 when compared to the year before, boosted by shipments from the US.
Due to high demand in Poland and neighboring countries and the start of US contracts, LNG imports into Poland are expected to continue to increase this year.
The Gdansk project would be the second LNG import terminal in Poland and the first FSRU-based facility in the country.
PGNiG also showed interest to book capacity in this LNG terminal in Gdansk Bay.
The FSRU terminal would have a capacity of up to 6.1 bcm per year, but this could increase depending on market developments and growth in demand for natural gas in Poland and the region.
Onshore pipelines
The onshore component of the FSRU project assumes the expansion of the national transmission system to enable distribution of gas from Gdansk area to central Poland.
With a total length of about 250 km, it includes the construction of three gas pipeline sections.
According to a recent statement by Gaz-System, the governor of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian province has provided the firm with two location decisions for Gustorzyn-Gardeja gas pipeline.
Prior to that, the company obtained two location decisions from the Pomeranian governor for the Gardeja-Kolnik section.
Thus, the Gdansk FSRU onshore component now holds a complete set of location decisions, the firm said.
Offshore part
Besides the onshore part, work on the offshore component of the project “is also progressing at a fast pace,” Gaz-System said.
In October last year, GAZ-System and Ramboll Danmark signed an agreement for the design preparation that covers the performance of all necessary surveys, including environmental, geological, and engineering.
The contract calls for obtaining all the required permits, including the construction permit for the offshore gas pipeline connecting the FSRU with the onshore system.
One month later, an agreement was signed contracting the services of a technical advisor to assist Gaz-System in supervising the work performed by Ramboll, the firm said.
Moreover, the European Commission, under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), granted in December last year funding to the Gdansk FSRU project for the development of technical specifications and performance of engineering works for the floating LNG terminal, Gaz-System said.
The maximum amount of the awarded support is about 19.6 million euros ($21 million).
Gaz-System expects the project to be ready for operation in 2027/2028.
“The FSRU program is currently a key element of the policy to ensure continuity of gas supply to Polish customers and develop stable natural gas market in the region. The importance of this project for our part of Europe is evidenced by the co-financing recently granted by the European Commission for the work on the offshore component of the FSRU,” Marcin Chludzinski, president of Gaz-System’s management board, said in the statement.
“Receiving location decisions for Gardeja-Kolnik and Gustorzyn-Gardeja gas pipelines means that the company can now proceed towards obtaining the construction permits,” he said.