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Polish Briefing 13 December, 2018 9:00 am   
COMMENTS: Mateusz Gibała

Polish Briefing: Another agreement on Baltic Pipe signed at COP24

What goes on in Poland on the 13th of December.

Another agreement on Baltic Pipe signed. “It’s not a project anymore, but an investment”

In Katowice, an agreement was signed between the Republic of Poland and the Kingdom of Denmark regarding the Baltic Pipe project. Piotr Naimski, Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure and Lars Christian Lilleholt, Minister of Energy, Climate and Municipal Services of Denmark, signed an agreement on the Baltic Pipe project. The ceremony took place on the occasion of the COP24 climate summit in Katowice.

Naimski thanked for the cooperation of the Danish side at the Baltic Pipe investment. – It has stopped being a project and has become an investment. The financial responsibility is also in effect – said Naimski.

According to Lars Christian Lilleholt, the signed agreement regarding Baltic Pipe is an expression of very good cooperation between both parties in this project. – This investment will give Poland the opportunity to import gas from Norway – said the Danish minister.

On the other hand, the Energy Minister, Krzysztof Tchórzewski, said that this agreement will give Poland energy security and the possibility of building gas energy, which will in turn give an opportunity to build offshore wind energy. “The Danes are known in this area. Thank you for what it is, and the benefits can be even greater and there is still a lot of work ahead of us – he said.

Gaz- System will be the operator of the gas pipeline from the Danish coast

On the basis of the concluded contract, part of the Baltic Pipe project, which will be implemented and financed by the Polish gas transmission system operator, Gaz-System, will be located in Denmark and its exclusive economic zone, it was required to determine the status and legal framework at the level of the international agreement functioning of this part of the infrastructure. Naimski stated that Gaz – System will be the operator of the submarine gas pipeline from the Danish coast and further towards Poland.

The conclusion of the contract between Poland and Denmark will ensure that the operator of the Polish gas transmission system will also perform the function of the gas transmission system operator on the part of the gas pipeline located outside Poland.

It will also result in the President of the Energy Regulatory Office being authorized to approve the operator’s tariff taking into account the costs incurred by him for the implementation, maintenance and operation of this part of the gas pipeline and the Everdrup gas compressor station.

In the concluded agreement, the sides also confirmed that they will support investors in the preparation and implementation of the Baltic Pipe project, so that it will be completed by October 1, 2022. The agreement is to express the support of both countries for this connection. The agreement requires ratification with the prior consent expressed in the act.

Baltic Pipe is an investment project aimed at connecting Poland with natural gas deposits on the Norwegian Continental Shelf via the Danish transmission system. Its implementation will allow us to complete the government’s strategy regarding the diversification of natural gas supplies to Poland and the construction of a competitive market for this resource.

Memorandum on energy cooperation

The Ministers of Energy of Poland, Krzysztof Tchórzewski and Denmark Lar Christian Lileholt also signed a memorandum on dialogue in the energy, climate and energy efficiency sectors. The memorandum was signed on the occasion of the Climate Summit held in Katowice. The signing of the agreement was preceded by the launch of the “From Policy to Action – Implementation of the European Energy Union” agreement