Too small gas storage facilities already in 2030?
Reported demand for storage capacity from 2030 exceeds available capacityeven taking into account the ongoing expansion of the Wierzchowice warehouse – notes Gas Storage Poland (GSP).
According to the results of the market research conducted by GSP in autumn 2025, in the horizon of 2029 the available storage capacity will be 3.9 billion cubic meters. gas will exceed the reported demand, which is expected to be 3.5 billion cubic meters. annually. In the years 2030-2035, there will be a deficit in storage capacity. They will then amount to 4.1 billion cubic meters, and the reported demand for the storage service is at the level of 4.2 billion cubic meters. annually. In the years 2036-2040 the deficit is expected to deepen due to the increase in demand for service to the average annual level of 4.8 billion cubic meters, with storage capacity of 4.1 billion cubic meters.
Growing market needs
The deficit in the storage capacity of cavern warehouses is expected to be even higher, around which – according to GSP – the future market needs will focus. Such warehouses are characterized by high flexibility and speed of operation compared to deposit warehouses. Due to the intensive development of renewable energy and gas energy and the planned launch of an FSRU in Gdańsk, the need to balance daily demand fluctuations in relation to seasonal balancing will increase – says Gas Storage Poland. Therefore, the operator anticipates that the demand for flexible services offered by cavern storage facilities will increase, meanwhile the projected market demand for capacity in these installations significantly exceeds the available capacity, and after 2030 the deficit may reach up to 1.6 billion cubic meters.
Expansion plans
The deficit will be additional grow due to the increase in the volume of mandatory reserves – from 1.3 billion cubic meters currently up to 1.8-2.0 billion cubic meters. after 2030 – GSP provides.
Therefore, as the operator writes in its strategy, its activities focus on cavern installations ensuring flexibility and the highest usability for the system, and also provide the possibility of conversion to alternative energy carriers in the future. Options for expanding the existing cavern underground gas storage facilities (KPMG) in Mogilno and Kosakowo were identifiedas well as the construction of a new installation, the operator is entering the stage of preparing investment projects – indicated in the GSP strategy.
Gas Storage Poland is an operator belonging to the transmission operator Gaz-System, managing Polish underground gas storage facilities owned by Orlen.
