The co-operation of Poland and Denmark on the energy security and the diversification of the directions of gas supplies in Central-Eastern Europe and in the Baltic Sea region, as well as low-emissions economy were the topics of the Ensuring Security of Supply and Green Energy Transition Denmark and Poland in the European Energy Union conference that took place on 10 September 2018 in Copenhagen. The meeting with the participation of the representatives of the governments of both states was attended by the President of Gaz-System, Tomasz Stępień.
During the discussion panel entitled “Strengthening Europe’s Energy Security– the Role of Gas”, President Tomasz Stępień pointed out that the integration of the European gas market and the diversification of sources is essential to ensure the energy security of the European Union. He also stressed that the security considerations are especially important to Poland, and the countries of Central-East Europe and the Baltic Sea region.
“The concept of the Northern Gate, which is supposed to lead the change of the gas transmission axis in Europe from east-west to north-south is also the result of the experience associated with the crisis situations in the past. We know that they cannot repeat,” stressed the President of Gaz-System. “Therefore, as the Gaz-System Capital Group, we implement a comprehensive diversification programme understood as the direct access to gas sources, and the diversification of the routes and directions of gas supplies. In this context, the operation and the expansion of the LNG Terminal in Świnoujście and the implementation of the Baltic Pipe project are of core importance,” he stressed.“We would also like to interconnect the Central-East European markets to ensure that the suppliers and the customers have access to gas from different sources,” continued the President of Gaz-System. “Apart from the Baltic Pipe project, we are also building interconnectors with Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine and Lithuania. These countries open further access to consecutive markets thanks to their own networks of interconnectors,” he assessed.
The Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure, Piotr Naimski, pointed out that the Baltic Pipe – as a project ensuring the diversification of gas sources and the possibility to resign of the long-term Yamal contract – fits to the strategy of transformation of the Polish energy sector. “The Baltic Pipe is the best example of co-operation beneficial to all EU energy market players,” assessed Minister Naimski.
The Minister of Energy of Poland, Krzysztof Tchórzewski, who was also present in Copenhagen, stressed that the Baltic Pipe well fits to the energy policy of the state. “The Baltic Pipe project is mutually beneficial – it means the improvement of the security of supplies, economic benefits to the gas customers, and enables Poland to commence the process of energy transformation,” he stressed.
Gaz-System