Poland’s first floating LNG terminal to be located in waters within the administrative boundaries of the Port of Gdańsk
GAZ-SYSTEM has signed agreements with the Port of Gdańsk and the Maritime Office in Gdynia on a partnership for the implementation in the Port of Gdańsk of an investment that is strategic to the security of Poland – a floating LNG terminal of the FSRU type. The investment will contribute to the diversification of the natural gas supply sources to Poland, and the terminal will secure over 30% of the country’s demand.
The FSRU is another project that should accelerate the shift away from high-carbon energy sources in the face of the country’s ever-growing demand for energy.
The FSRU terminal and its transmission infrastructure are to be located within the administrative boundaries of the Port of Gdańsk. The floating FSRU is a storage vessel for LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas), i.e. gas in its liquid state, and has an installation that changes the raw material from a liquefied to a gaseous form. From the FSRU, the fuel will be injected into the transmission network.
‘The government’s mission is to ensure the country’s energy security through free access to competitive and alternative energy sources. The Polish economy has been growing dynamically and needs modern and efficient technologies. The investment by GAZ-SYSTEM in the Gulf of Gdańsk – a floating LNG terminal of the FSRU type – is a response to the needs of the market, not only domestically, but also in Central and Eastern Europe. I wish to emphasise that, in order to complete this project, one that is so important to Poland, it is necessary to understand the purpose and partnership of many offices and institutions – and the agreements signed today are an expression of this’, said Anna Łukaszewska-Trzeciakowska, Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure.
Gas from all over the world
The agreements were signed on 12 October. The parties committed to work together, to support and coordinate each other’s processes crucial to the whole investment and to keep each other informed about the preparation and implementation of the investment.
‘The signing of the agreement with GAZ-System is the final confirmation of the legitimacy of this strategic investment from the point of view of national security. I am confident that the location of the FSRU Terminal in waters within the administrative borders of our port is a good choice. It is certain to increase the importance of this part of the coast on the economic map of the Baltic. The terminal will be an important element of the gas import infrastructure for Poland and the CEE region. The role of the Port of Gdańsk as a place of strategic importance will increase even further’, explains Łukasz Malinowski, President of the Port of Gdańsk.
The Port of Gdańsk Management Board, as the entity managing the port infrastructure and its development, will have a supportive role in the design, preparation and implementation of the GAZ-SYSTEM investment. The partnership between the companies includes support in obtaining all the necessary permits. PGA will be obliged to provide the utilities necessary for the implementation of the investment. It will also make available, at the company’s request, real estate within the port area, adjacent to the areas covered by the investment.
‘Poland needs an FSRU Terminal because it enables the import of liquefied natural gas from any place in the world. The terminal’s capacity will secure more than 30% of the country’s demand. The FSRU will expedite Poland’s internal development and strengthen the economic position of our country in the region by creating a gas hub catering for the needs of our neighbouring countries’, said Marcin Chludziński, President of GAZ-SYSTEM.
The Maritime Office in Gdynia is responsible for the construction of the breakwater, serving as the foundation of the terminal and the gas reception and transmission infrastructure.
‘We will meet again in four years’ time to talk about the finished breakwater, and then in 2028 the first shipments will enter the Port of Gdańsk’, said Master Mariner Wiesław Piotrzkowski at the event, director of the Maritime Office in Gdynia.
The European Committee, under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), has granted funding to the LNG Gdańsk project for the preparation of technical specifications and execution of the design work. The maximum amount of the support awarded amounts to approximately EUR 19.6 million.
