Polish Briefing: Gaz-System closes FSRU open season bids I Another Russian spy jailed

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FSRU. Picture by Hoegh LNG.
FSRU. Picture by Hoegh LNG.

Poland’s first FSRU inches closer

Gaz-System announced it has stopped accepting Phase 2 offers for access to the capacity of the planned FSRU in the Gulf of Gdańsk. It remains to be seen whether the interest was strong enough to carry out the project.

In the first phase of the open season procedure for the FSRU, Gaz-System offered 6.1 bcm capacity and signed an order to proceed agreement with a tender participant that applied for the full capacity. PGNiG placed an order in March for access to the FSRU capacity. Phase two participants will be able to apply for free capacity if PGNiG does not use it in full, which is to be confirmed by the regasification agreement and the regasification order for 100 percent of the services requested.

The FSRU’s open season procedure is binding. Whether the full capacity will be booked or not will confirm if the market is interested in the service and whether the project itself makes sense. Then Gaz-System will be able to make the final investment decision. „This continues the process we started back in 2021, which resulted in signing in May 2022 the order to proceed for the entire available capacity. If the market confirms its order, then the procedure will be a success. If it doesn’t or if the confirmation is only partial, then the open season procedure will be carried out again for the entire market,” Andrzej Kensbok, Gaz-System VP, told BiznesAlert.pl.

The floating gas terminal could be built in 2026-28, depending on whether the market confirms interest in its capacity. In 2022 Poland’s gas demand amounted to 17 billion cubic meters  annually, but Gaz-System transmitted through Poland about 19 bcm. The LNG terminal in Świnoujście has a capacity of 6.2 billion cubic meters. By the end of the year, a third tank is to be added, increasing the flexibility of supplies thanks to storing more gas.

Gaz-System / PGNiG / Wojciech Jakóbik

Russia’s spy network is after Poland’s critical infrastructure

The Internal Security Agency (ABW) has detained the 15th member of a Russian spy network that is monitoring Poland’s critical infrastructure, including military and port facilities.

„ABW has detained another member of a spy network working for Russian intelligence. The suspect conducted surveillance of military facilities and seaports. He was systematically paid by the Russians. This is the fifteenth person detained in this investigation,” tweeted Poland’s Internal Affairs Minister Mariusz Kamiński.

It is worth recalling that in Poland, until August 31, 2023, BRAVO and CHARLIE-CRP alert levels will be in force, covering, among other things, the energy infrastructure of Poland at home and abroad. In the spring, the Minister of National Defense was also given the right to decide to shoot down an object that threatens critical infrastructure, including the Baltic Pipe gas pipeline mentioned by name in the law on this issue.

Previously, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported on the arrest of a spy network that regularly informed Russia about Poland’s critical infrastructure, including military, port and railway facilities. Those activities may involve studying the movement of troops and the logistics of supplying various goods to Ukraine, which is struggling with the invasion of Russia.

Wojciech Jakóbik