CNG, LNG Gain Ground in Poland

The use of compressed natural gas (CNG) and LNG is becoming increasingly popular in Poland, state gas firm PGNiG said on February 1, reporting a 31% increase in CNG sales last year.

PGNiG noted that nearly every second bus sold in Poland last year was CNG-powered. Some 165 CNG-fuelled buses began operating, bringing the total number to almost 800. The company stressed CNG's advantages over more traditional fuels in terms of cost and environmental impact. PGNiG has 17 CNG filling stations but wants to add 23 more in 2021.

The company has also made inroads in LNG, launching a regasification station in December next to a major electric car batteries plant that South Korea's LG Chem is building near Wroclaw. PGNiG will supply the station with almost 19,000 metric tons of LNG via truck over a five-year period.

LNG is growing in popularity not only in industry but also in heavy transport, PGNiG noted. The company was also cleared last year to provide LNG bunkering in three more Polish ports, bringing the total to five. It bunkered its first ship in Szczecin in November.

Poland is warming to natural gas, and is developing new LNG terminals and pipelines to import more of the fuel while reducing its reliance on supplies from Russia. In the power sector, it is building new gas-fired power plants while fast-tracking a phase-out of coal, its traditional fuel of choice.