Poland to Speed Up LNG Project in Swinoujscie

Poland intends to start receiving shipments from Qatar in two years, meeting the original deadline for Gazoport, the LNG terminal project in Swinoujscie, said the head of terminal operator Polskie LNG .

The terminal is expected to be completed in the second half of 2014, with deliveries beginning in 2015. Poland signed a “take or pay contract” with Qatar – it will begin paying LNG suppliers whether the terminal is ready or not. Therefore, the European country has a strong incentive to conclude the project on time. 

"We owe a lot to the foreign contractors. Had it not been for the Italian companies in the consortium, work on the terminal could have been halted due to the troubles of Polish companies," said Rafal Wardzinski, head of terminal operator Polskie LNG, on Monday.

The facility will have a 5 billion cubic meters annual capacity. It is part of the strategy of the EU member Poland to diversify its energy mix and ease its reliance on gas imports from Russia’s Gazprom.