Poland Seeks Gas Hub Status
Poland plans to build a second LNG regasification terminal in either Gdansk or Gdynia, Polish President Andrzej Duda said on December 9.
At a meeting in Brzozow, Duda said Poland’s ambition was to become a gas hub for Central Europe, according to website of the president’s office. The country already has one import terminal in Swinoujscie, with plans to expand its capacity from 5bn to 7.5bn m3/yr in the next few years. It is also building a pipeline to bring up to 10bn m3/yr of gas from Norway.
“We hope that our investments will secure not only gas supplies and the energy security of Poland, but we wish to bring this security to other Central European states. To Slovakia, Ukraine, and further south,” Duda said.
Polish gas firm PGNiG recently informed its long-time Russian gas supplier that it did not intend to extend its purchase contract beyond its current expiry date of December 31 2022. According to Duda, Poland will have no need for Russian gas after this point.
The government has suggested before it could install a floating storage and regasification unit in Gdansk capable of handling 2.8mn mt/yr of LNG, or 4bn m3 of regasified supplies.