Poland's LNG terminal to open by 2016, PM insists
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
10.09.2015 12:44
Polish PM Ewa Kopacz has said that the long-awaited opening of the liquid gas terminal in Świnoujście in north-western Poland will take place by the end of this year.
Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz speaks at the Economic Forum in Krynica. Photo: PAP/Grzegorz Momot
Speaking at the Economic Forum in Krynica, southern Poland, Kopacz said the various obstacles to finalising the terminal were being dealt with.
The LNG terminal, which once open will allow Poland to import gas from countries such as Qatar, was meant to be operational by June 2014, but the deadline was not achieved and the Italian construction firm in charge of the project, Saipem, asked for additional payment for completing the work.
The investing company Polish LNG refused to make this payment.
Saipem says that the LNG terminal is 98 percent complete, and some sources have claimed that the construction phase should finish in September.
Once operational the terminal will allow Poland to import up to five billion cubic metres of LNG per year, covering around a third of the country’s demand. This will be one of the largest LNG ports in Central, Eastern and Northern Europe.
If necessary capacity could be boosted to 7.5 billion cubic metres. A feasibility study was commissioned in April to look into the prospect of expanding the port in future.
The LNG terminal is aimed to decrease Poland's dependency on gas supplies from the east, including Russia. (jh)