What goes on in Poland on the 20th of January.
Record-high natural gas demand from PGNiG customers
A major increase in gas consumption has been recorded in Poland over recent days. According to preliminary data, PGNiG supplied about 81 mcm (911 GWh) of natural gas last gas day (January 18th/19th 2021), setting a new record for daily gas supply volumes.
The spike in gas demand is attributable to a major cold weather spell experienced in Poland in recent days, which spurred increased demand for gas used by households for heating. Gas consumption by industrial customers has also remained high. The previous gas usage record was broken in the winter of 2018, with peak daily gas consumption of approximately 78.8 mcm (882 GWh).
‘The leader of Poland’s gas market, PGNiG is very well prepared to meet the changing gas needs of its customers. The gas stocks we hold in underground storage facilities in Poland and abroad, as well as diversification of our supply sources and the capacity booked on domestic and cross-border pipelines enable us to flexibly respond to the changing needs of our customers, with their safety and convenience in mind,’ said Paweł Majewski, President of the PGNiG Management Board. ‘As energy security is our top priority, it is imperative that we continue our diversification efforts and make further investments in expanding the gas storage infrastructure in Poland in order to be able to balance gas demand and promptly respond to extraordinary developments,’ Mr Majewski added.
PGNiG’s demand is currently covered by natural gas supplies from domestic sources, imports from countries east of Poland (Russia), west of Poland (Germany) and south of Poland (Czech Republic), LNG supplies, and gas held in underground storage facilities in Poland and Ukraine.