Completion of the reservation process for regasification capacity at the FSRU Terminal in Gdansk Bay

On 18 August 2023, GAZ-SYSTEM and ORLEN signed an agreement for regasification services for the FSRU Terminal in the Gulf of Gdansk, which will be an important element of the gas import infrastructure for Poland and the CEE region.

The project for the construction of the FSRU Terminal assumes the location in the Gdansk area of a floating storage regasification unit (FSRU), adapted to carry out the regasification process at the level of 6.1 bcm of gaseous fuel per year. The regasification agreement was signed as part of the Open Season procedure, in which ORLEN submitted an order covering 100% of the Regasification Services made available by GAZ-SYSTEM.

The signing ceremony was attended by Anna Łukaszewska-Trzeciakowska, Secretary of State and Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure. The minister stressed the strategic importance of the investment being made by GAZ-SYSTEM and the important role that LNG supplies play in reducing natural gas imports from Russia.

– Last year, the war in Ukraine completely changed the directions of natural gas supplies to the European Union. We have seen an increase of over 60% in LNG supplies from the global market. Poland is benefiting from this trend and has ambitions to become a gas hub for Central and Eastern Europe, said Minister Anna Lukaszewska-Trzeciakowska.

The FSRU terminal in Gdansk is part of Poland’s energy and economic transition to less carbon-intensive energy sources.

– ORLEN Group’s market-confirmed project to build an FSRU terminal is another element of the country’s energy security based on sound economic rationale. Following the completion of cross-border connections with Denmark, Lithuania and Slovakia and the expansion of the LNG Terminal in Świnoujście, this project will enhance gas diversification in Poland and the Intermodal region,” said Marcin Chludziński, CEO of GAZ-SYSTEM.

Currently, GAZ-SYSTEM is observing growing market demand for liquefied natural gas supplies. Therefore, in response to the growing interest – it is already taking measures to increase the regasification capacity of the FSRU Terminal.

– Taking into account the growing interest of the entire CEE region in diversification of gas supply sources based on LNG – we are currently conducting an Open Season procedure for FSRU 2. If it is successful, we could launch the second FSRU, which would enable us to increase the regasification capacity by 4.5 bcm of gas fuel per year,” said Andrzej Kensbok, Vice-President of the Management Board of GAZ-SYSTEM.

For ORLEN, liquefied natural gas is one of the pillars of its diversification strategy and the development of long-term commercial potential.

– Poland’s fuel and energy security has been and still is a priority for us. It was the need to strengthen this security that was one of the reasons for building a strong multienergy concern. Thanks to the merger with LOTOS, PGNiG and Energa, we have the potential to become involved in further projects important for the energy independence of the country and the region. One such project is the floating LNG terminal to be built in the Gulf of Gdansk, where ORLEN has reserved all regasification capacity. Together with the already operational President Lech Kaczyński Terminal in Świnoujście, this will enable the company to receive all the LNG to be supplied under the long-term contracts we have signed. At present, this is almost 14 billion cubic metres of gas. Such an amount of raw material, supplemented by supplies from Norway and our own domestic production, will allow us not only to fully satisfy the needs of Polish customers, but also to offer gas to neighbouring markets. In this way, ORLEN will be a guarantor of fuel and energy security not only for the country but also for other countries in the region,” said Daniel Obajtek, President of the Management Board of ORLEN.

Currently, the FSRU Terminal in Gdansk is in an advanced design stage. In July this year. GAZ-SYSTEM completed the process of obtaining administrative decisions for all three onshore gas pipelines being built as part of the FSRU project: Kolnik – Gdansk, Gardeja – Kolnik and Gustorzyn – Gardeja, which will have a total length of about 250 km and a diameter of 1,000 mm.

Construction of these connections is expected to start in 2024. As part of the offshore part of the FSRU project, work is underway to design a berth for the FSRU floating terminal along with the offshore section of the gas pipeline, which will be located at the bottom of the Gulf of Gdansk.

Source: PortalMorski.pl