What goes on in Poland on the 7th of June.
The Terminal act
The „terminal” bill is ready for voting. Yesterday, in the early afternoon in the Sejm, in a constructive atmosphere, the second reading of the draft amendment to the „terminal” law was held.
The draft introduces new provisions necessary for the specificity of the Baltic Pipe project and transmission connection in Denmark. And also the changes necessary for the expansion of the LNG terminal in Świnoujście Lech Kaczyński to the capacity of 7,5 bcm. Thus, investments necessary for the implementation of the energy security policy in the gas sector. Necessary changes in other acts have also been proposed. Among others in the Act on sea areas of the Republic of Poland and maritime administration and in the Act on Real Estate Management.
Constructive first reading and the whole procedure
Deputy Anna Paluch presented the first reading report concluded on June 4 at a joint meeting of the Energy and Treasury Committee and the Committee on Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry with a request to pass a bill.
Among the proposed and submitted in the second reading changes include precise definition of the terminal in Świnoujście together with facilities, equipment, networks and installations used for its construction, reconstruction, renovation, maintenance, use, change of use, exploitation or demolition, in particular with gas network facilities, power and water supply networks, waterworks, Sewerage, heat, telecommunications and ICT, road or rail infrastructure, quays, storage yards, storage facilities, production buildings, assemblies or factories. The scope of activities of the Port of Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports Authority has been supplemented with the construction of an appropriate port infrastructure, as well as infrastructure „enabling the installation of gas transmission and offshore water installations, together with devices for unloading, loading and bunkering liquefied natural gas.” The tasks of Polskie LNG SA in the scope of construction or reconstruction of the terminal and construction of the cogeneration unit powered by gas in Świnoujście together with the infrastructure necessary for its operation were specified.
No aggression and political disputes
In the club’s speeches by PiS, PO, Kukiz15, Nowoczesna and PSL, and the „Free and Solidarity” parliamentary group, deputies stressed the necessity of adopting the amendment of the „terminal” act as an act of fundamental importance for national energy security. The club’s speeches were strictly substantive, almost without accents of political disputes. A number of substantive questions have been addressed to the present in the Sejm at the second reading of Minister Piotr Naimski, among others about possible threats to the deadline for the implementation of the Baltic Pipe project. Minister Naimski explained that the schedule of this project is implemented on time and there are no threats. The facility will be handed over as planned in the autumn of 2022. Sławomir Nitras (PO) asked about commercialization, and Piotr Naimski explained that in the gas sector commercialization means diversification and competitiveness of suppliers. This will be assured – gas supplies from companies extracting gas from the Norwegian shelf in the North Sea, LNG supplies from Qatar and the United States. There will be an increase in prices in the transmission tariff, but this will not burden the final recipients.