Gaz-System has obtained permits to build onshore gas pipes for its FSRU project
„Gaz-System has completed the process of obtaining administrative decisions for all three onshore gas pipelines built as part of the FSRU project,” the company said. The new gas pipelines will connect the FSRU, that is to be built in the Gulf of Gdańsk, with central Poland.
„Obtaining a set of administrative permits for the FSRU’s onshore section is a key moment in the process of building the second LNG gas port in Poland. This allows us to start working in the field. At the same time, we are designing an undersea gas pipeline together with technical infrastructure and choosing an FSRU unit that we will dock in the waters of the Gulf of Gdańsk. By developing the national transmission system, we respond to the needs of gas customers in Poland. Thus, we are increasing the country’s energy security, as well as our role in Europe’s gas supply, ” said Marcin Chludziński, President of Gaz–System.
The FSRU project includes the construction of three gas pipelines: Kolnik-Gdańsk, Gardeja-Kolnik and Gustorzyn-Gardeja, which will have a total length of approx. 250 km and a diameter of 1000 mm. The Kolnik-Gdańsk gas pipeline received its first construction permit last year. In June of this year, the Pomeranian Voivodeship issued permits for the construction of two sections of the Gardeja-Kolnik gas pipeline. The last permits were issued in July by the governor of the Kuyavian-Pomerania Voivodship for three sections of the Gustorzyn – Gardeja gas pipeline. Their construction is scheduled to start in 2024.
According to the original plan for the FSRU terminal, the facility was to be placed near Gdańsk and had a capacity of 6.1 bcm a year. However, huge market interest in the project encouraged Gaz-System, and the company is currently conducting a Binding Open Season procedure for FSRU Terminal 2. „It will increase the regasification capacity of the terminal by launching the second FSRU unit, capable of unloading, process storage and regasification of LNG at the level of 4.5 billion cubic meters annually, if the market confirms such a demand,” the company said.
„The project has the status of a” Project of Common Interest”. The European Commission under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) awarded the FSRU project a grant for the action entitled: „pre-investment works to obtain a construction permit for the offshore part of PCI 6.27 LNG Gdańsk (PL)”. The maximum amount of support granted is approx. 19.6 million euros,” it has been reported.
Gaz-System is a strategic company for the Polish economy. It is responsible for the transmission of natural gas, and manages almost 12 thousand km of gas pipelines in Poland as well as the Baltic Pipe offshore gas pipeline and owns the LNG terminal in Świnoujście.
Gaz-System / Jacek Perzyński
Orlen will buy three wind farms in Greater Poland
The Orlen Group has concluded a conditional agreement with EDP Renewables Polska for the purchase of three wind farms in Greater Poland with a total capacity of 142 MW. As part of the transaction, the option to supplement them with photovoltaic assets (with a capacity of up to 159 MW) was also secured.
The three farms Orlen is interested in were launched in 2021 and 2022. They produce as much energy a year as 240,000 households use and some of their turbines have a capacity of 4.2 MW. „The transaction is expected to be finalized later this year,” Orlen said in a statement.
„We are making one of the largest transactions on the domestic renewable energy market in recent years. The scale of operations and experience in acquisition processes allow us to effectively carry out such operations. We consistently invest in this segment to offer our customers clean and competitively priced energy. By 2030, we will have approximately 9 GW of capacity installed in renewable sources, becoming a leader in the energy transition of our region. The agreement concluded today will expand our RES portfolio with exceptionally high-quality production units. The three wind farms acquired are not only among the most modern in the country, but are also characterized by an excellent location, providing high wind speeds, which guarantees a high degree of utilization of the installed capacity,” says Daniel Obajtek, President of the Orlen Group.
The transaction includes the purchase of three wind farms located in Greater Poland, near the village: Ujazd (with a capacity of 30 MW), Dobrzyca (with a capacity of 49.9 MW) and Dominowo (with a capacity of 62.4 MW). The latter uses, among others, Vestas V136 turbines with a maximum height of 166 m and blades with a length of 76.2 m. These are one of the largest onshore units currently operating in Poland. The transaction is carried out by Orlen Wind 3, a company owned by the Group. After its completion, the Group will have about 900 MW of capacity installed in renewable sources.
The farms were launched in 2021-2022 and they are new, efficient assets with very high productivity and long life expectancy. Optional photovoltaic projects are an integral part of the transaction. They can be realized by the seller mostly on the basis of cable pooling, that is, using an existing connection.
The new assets will join other green energy sources owned by Orlen in Greater Poland. The company already has the Przykona wind farm with a capacity of approx. 33 MW and the Gryf photovoltaic farm with a capacity of approx. 25 MW. In the second half of July this year Energa Wytwarzanie, a member of the Group, has signed a preliminary agreement with Greenvolt concerning the Opalenica and Sompolno projects with a total capacity of 59 MW. Energa also plans to build photovoltaic farms PV Mitra (65 MW) and PV Żuki (2.4 MW).
Orlen Group / Jędrzej Stachura
Poland talks with Ørsted about offshore protection in the Baltic
Poland is in talks with Denmark’s Ørsted on strengthening the protection of critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. The Danes together with Poland’s PGE will build offshore wind farms in the Polish section of the Baltic Sea.
During a conference on critical infrastructure protection BiznesAlert.pl asked Anna Łukaszewska-Trzeciakowska how Poland’s cooperation with the EU and NATO was progressing on this issue. „These talks are conducted between NATO members, and in particular at the summit of the alliance in Vilnius. There is indeed a huge need to protect such infrastructure, and this is not easy. We keep the tabs on this issue and we are aware of the threat,” said the Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure.
She added that informal talks are currently underway with the Danes, who are a partner of PGE in the construction of offshore wind farms Baltica 2 and Baltica 3. „There are talks with Denmark’s Ørsted, who is part – owner of this infrastructure, but we cannot reveal more details,” she said.
In May 2021, Polska Grupa Energetyczna and Ørsted finalized a joint venture agreement for joint offshore projects in Poland. The companies each own 50 percent of the Baltica 2 and Baltica 3 projects, which comprise the Baltica Offshore Wind Farm, the largest offshore investment in the Polish part of the Baltic Sea. Together, they will build and operate offshore wind farms with a total installed capacity of up to 2.5 GW. According to the plans, Baltica 3 (1 GW) is to be launched in 2026, and Baltica 2 (1.5 GW) before 2030.
Jędrzej Stachura