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Government Plenipotentiary for strategic energy infrastructure Piotr Naimski took part in a conference “Raw materials security of Poland: oil and gas” under the patronage of BiznesAlert.pl. He admitted that cleaning the transmission system in Poland from polluted Russian oil makes it disrupts the diversification of oil supply via the oil terminal.
– The effects of this case are still ongoing. We are still dealing with the need to clean up after what has happened – admitted the government’s plenipotentiary for strategic energy infrastructure. – It has been let in and it is difficult to tell us how and where it happened, but in the Russian Federation polluted oil was pumped into the Przyjaźń transmission system. It is a certain amount, quite large, but it is not fully counted yet.
– These chlorine compounds eventually transform into hydrochloric acid, it is dangerous in the corrosive sense for installations in refineries. The contamination is measured. Samples are taken. Refineries are able to receive with oil with a certain limit of raw material content in the Russian standard 10 PPM. This amount can be increased to a certain limit. Refineries, depending on the type of installation, may accept higher concentrations for a certain period of time – informed the minister. – This failure, let’s call it that, led to the fact that on 24 April PERN, in consultation with the recipients, ie two Polish and two German refineries, closed the flow of oil at the Polish border. This meant that crisis actions had to be taken.
Who polluted the oil? – We have no information on this matter. We only know that there is an investigation in Russia that may point to those guilty of negligence. One thing is connected with this. The whole case caused losses on the refinery’s side as well as PERN, ie the transmission company. There are talks on this subject with Russian partners, as well as Transneft, which is the equivalent of PERN. They are not conclusive and are rolling. It is obvious that those who suffered loss will demand compensation – assured Piotr Naimski. – Fuel production in Poland has not been disturbed in any way. This is of course a success. We were able to supply the refinery in Płock, using primarily supplies from the kerosene – pointed out the conference guest. – Various conclusions for the future emerge from this. Cleaning up, i.e. getting rid of the transmission system, and storing this contaminated resource will take a long time, probably half a year.
– You can get rid of it by mixing it and lowering the content of chlorine compounds to the acceptable limit and refining all contaminated oil in refineries, which is located in warehouses, or also still in the transmission system – he added.
– The problem is what remains in the PERN logistics system, which means that the flexibility of this transmission system is very limited. A certain storage capacity is filled with this raw material. Meanwhile, the connection between Płock and the kerosene in Gdansk works reversely and it can be said that this situation has additionally proved that the decision made last year about the need to quickly build the second branch of the Pomeranian pipeline was absolutely right – convinced the guest.
– The result of the supply crisis from the East is that the Orlen refinery in Płock has problems with maintaining the achieved level of supply diversification. This is because the logistics capacities are limited when transferring the raw material and its receipt from the petroleum. Diversification must be reduced by smaller operational storage capacities – said Piotr Naimski.
Naimski reminded that the so-called terminal law allows to speed up the construction of the second pipeline to finish it by 2023. It will be run on a new route and it requires a significant effort to obtain all consents. – PERN has already commissioned the project. Environmental studies will be completed within one year. This investment is already under way – he assured.
