GAZ-SYSTEM, a state-owned company managing a network of over 12,000 kilometers of transmission gas pipelines, including the Baltic Pipe submarine gas pipeline, 14 high-pressure gas compressor stations and the LNG terminal in Świnoujście, is preparing for another large, extremely important investment for the Polish energy sector and the entire economy. The idea is to launch a floating LNG terminal in the Bay of Gdańsk – FSRU (Floating Storage Regasification Unit).
GAZ-SYSTEM has already signed a contract to design and build an FSRU vessel and is preparing to build 250 km of onshore gas pipelines that will fully integrate the terminal with the national gas transmission system. All stages of the investment are going according to schedule. The planned launch date of the FSRU terminal is the turn of 2027 and 2028.
She is responsible for delivering the ship Japanese company Mitsui OSK Linesand the floating LNG regasification unit itself is being built at the South Korean HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan. It will have a capacity of approx. 170,000. cubic meters liquefied gas and the ability to send gas to the network at the level of approx. 6.1 billion cubic meters. annually. Therefore, this value is practically identical to the current regasification capacity of the LNG terminal in Świnoujście (after completion of the expansion, this value is expected to reach approximately 8.2 billion cubic meters per year).
European scale
Such great possibilities of the planned FSRU terminal firstly, they make it an investment of great importance for increasing the energy security of Poland and Central Europe. Due to the benefits for the regional market, the FSRU project in the Bay of Gdańsk has been recognized by the European Commission as an investment of common interest (PCI). This status is granted to infrastructure projects aimed at strengthening the European internal energy market and achieving the EU energy policy objectives of providing affordable, safe and sustainable energy. Additionally, the European Commission granted the FSRU Offshore project funding under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for preparatory and design work. The new investment completes the concept of the so-called The Northern Gateway and thus finalizing the strategy for diversifying the sources and directions of gas supplies to Poland – next to the expanded LNG terminal in Świnoujście and the Baltic Pipe gas pipeline.
Secondly, construction of an FSRU terminal in the Bay of Gdańsk is a project that will provide the necessary support for the accelerating process of decarbonization of the Polish energy sector and economy.
Third, this project can also influence gas prices in Poland thanks to the possibility of contracting gas and importing it from various extraction sites around the world. Thanks to investments made by GAZ-SYSTEM, Poland already has several entry points to the national transmission system. These are: the LNG terminal in Świnoujście, the Baltic Pipe gas pipeline, the Poland-Lithuania, Poland-Slovakia and Poland-Czech Republic and Poland-Germany connections with a total capacity significantly exceeding the current annual national demand. These possibilities will be significantly increased.
Raw material of the time of transformation
Despite recent major turmoil on the gas market caused primarily by the unstable geopolitical situation in the region, the importance of gas in the Polish and global economy is growing. The demand for “blue fuel” is increasing and this will not change in the coming years.
Benefits of investing in the LNG terminal in Gdańsk / Dziennik Gazeta Prawna – digital edition
In updated 10-year gas consumption forecast for 2024-2045prepared by GAZ-SYSTEM, indicated that the demand for gas transmission services in Poland will increase by 2030 from the current 18.2 billion cubic meters. annually in the moderate growth variant to over 24 billion cubic meters. annually. In the optimal development variant, consumption in 2030 is forecast at over 27 billion cubic meters. In the next decade – with the development of solar and wind power plants, including in the Baltic Sea – the demand for gas will begin to weaken and stabilize after 2036 at the level of 21.5-21.7 billion cubic meters. annually in the moderate growth variant and over 26 billion cubic meters in the optimal development variant.
Gas power plants they fit perfectly into the needs of the Polish energy sector at a time of deep transformation. We observe an increasing share of renewable energy sources in the Polish energy mix. Their growing importance may lead to increased variability in electricity supplies. Therefore, the energy network must be stabilized, and gas power plants are perfect for this purpose. They can be started and stopped quickly, unlike coal blocks, which are less flexible. The efficiency of gas units is also higher, their efficiency reaches 60 percent, while the efficiency of coal units is a maximum of 30-40 percent. Higher efficiency, of course, in practice means lower fuel consumption, and therefore greater investment profitability and lower carbon dioxide emissions.
Gas power plants compared to coal, they are an incomparably more ecological solution, not only because of their higher efficiency. Natural gas is a much cleaner fuel than coal, its combustion generates approximately half the CO2 emissions and small amounts of harmful substances. Gas power plants do not emit PM10 and PM2.5 suspended dust or mercury and organochlorine compounds.
Accelerated gasification is possible
The importance of the new LNG terminal in the Bay of Gdańsk is also growing in the context of talks and development plans Polish capacity market. The problem that arises here concerns the possible lack of stable power sources in our energy system in the coming years. This is a result of both market development, electromobility, and the rapid phasing out of coal-fired power plants.
In my opinion director of the Center for Energy Analysis (CAE), Artur Kopijkowski-Gożuchby 2030, Poland will lack approximately 7-8 GW of stable power from new sources that are not yet planned and implemented, and are not included in any strategies and development plans. This is the power needed according to the most pessimistic scenario, which CAE accepts as the basic one.
There are opinions of experts who predict that Poland may face accelerated gasification, which in practice means the need to build new gas power plants and other necessary infrastructure.
For the benefit of local communities
New terminal in the Bay of Gdańsk must be properly connected to the Polish gas network. As part of the investment, it is planned to expand the national transmission system with approximately 250 km of new onshore gas pipelines, which will enable effective distribution of gas from the Gdańsk area to customers in Poland and the region. This will translate into measurable benefits for local communities in places where new gas infrastructure will be built.
GAZ-SYSTEM in its activities, it attaches significant importance to aspects related to ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance), i.e. the company’s activities for ecology, corporate social responsibility and corporate governance. The scale of operations obliges the company to engage in social activities and build permanent relationships with local communities. Therefore, in areas where GAZ-SYSTEM infrastructure is located or investments are carried out, the company conducts regular dialogue with stakeholders and supports them in various fields of activity. The company is particularly keen to engage in projects related to ensuring fire safety, environmental protection, and in scientific and educational initiatives thematically related to its activities.
In 2024, the company transferred to beneficiaries from the area implementation of the FSRU program 155 thousand in total PLN to improve safety, including support for initiatives for local communities and over PLN 120,000. PLN for environmental and climate activities.
The construction of approximately 250 km of onshore gas pipelines under the FSRU Program also brings measurable financial benefits to municipalities from real estate taxes.
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