PERN suspends the second strand of the Pomeranian pipeline project

PERN CEO Daniel Świętochowski announced that the project to build the second line of the Pomeranian pipeline has been suspended. The reason for this decision is the lack of interest from domestic and foreign partners.

“The investment in the second line of the Pomeranian pipeline is suspended in terms of implementation. As PERN, we held talks with domestic and foreign partners asking about their funding and interest in this project. The answer was no. Our position at the moment is that the investment will not continue,” said Daniel Świętochowski during the Subcommittee on Critical Infrastructure, Mining and Energy.

The head of PERN noted that the first strand of the pipeline meets the current demand through the systematic introduction of a measure to reduce oil flow resistance. This innovation is expected to increase the capacity by up to 30 percent.

“The first line provides a capacity of 30 million tons of oil. The company invested in solutions that were not available before, i.e. dosing of a flow resistance reducing agent. We add it to the oil on a regular basis, which increases pressing by 20-30 percent. We have more potential and a calm conscience. We can meet the demand,” said President Świętochowski.

However, the company’s website still reads (as of August 1, 2024) that the pipeline is at the stage of implementation of design work and obtaining permits. According to PERN’s earlier claims, the second line of the pipeline was supposed to be a strategic project from the point of view of Poland’s energy security. The project involved the construction of additional infrastructure to secure the transport of oil. The planned route of the pipeline was to run along the existing first line through three voivodeships: Masovian, Kuyavian-Pomeranian and Pomeranian. The technical parameters of the pipeline with a length of about 240 km were supposed to allow the transfer of nearly 25 million tons of oil per year between the base in Miszewko Strzałkowskie (near Płock) and Gdańsk.

The investment has already received an environmental decision, and recently PERN spoke of waiting for a location decision. This would have allowed the start of construction.

Jędrzej Stachura