Polskie LNG says the Voivode of the Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship issued an operating permit for the Świnoujście LNG Terminal in late April 2016. This is a crucial step in the final preparations of the LNG Terminal for commercial use. Moreover, the key operating tests in the LNG Terminal have also been completed.
The operating permit, together with acceptance of the system from the General Project Contractor and receipt of the other administrative decisions, will open way to commissioning of the most important gas system project in many years. The terminal will enable Poland to buy gas anywhere in the world and to collect the supplies from directions other than the east. The current technical regasification capacity of the Terminal stands at 5 billion cubic meters, which covers 1/3 of the demand of the Polish economy. Further expansion of the infrastructure to 7.5 billion cubic meters is being considered.
The LNG Terminal is the only project of this kind in Central and Eastern Europe. The expansion of transmission pipelines, especially connections with other gas systems in Europe, will enhance the energy security in our region and lead to actual diversification of gas supply sources. Moreover, the completion of the project in Świnoujście and access to the global LNG market creates many trading opportunities for Poland in the area of natural gas, and may significantly strengthen its position on the European market.
Works on this strategic project began in 2006, with selection of the site and decision to build the LNG Terminal in Świnoujście. The construction was carried out under the Act of 24 April 2009 on investment projects related to the Świnoujście LNG regasification terminal. Four entities are engaged in the project: Gas Transmission Operator GAZ-SYSTEM S.A., Polskie LNG S.A., the Maritime Authority in Szczecin and the Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports Authority (Zarząd Morskich Portów Szczecin i Świnoujście S.A.).
In recent weeks, several operating tests were carried out in the Świnoujście LNG Terminal to verify the actual processing parameters of the facility against project and contract assumptions. Current works are aimed at commissioning of the Świnoujście LNG Terminal for commercial purposes. On 6 April 2016, the acceptance committee commenced procedures for the final acceptance of the system from the General Project Contractor (GPC) and its commissioning by the technical service of Polskie LNG S.A.
At the same time, steps have been taken to formally appoint the LNG Terminal operator, obtaining the license and tariff. Consultations with market participants regarding the Terminal Operation Manual (TOM)began on 21 April 2016 and will last until 9 May 2016. After these activities are completed, the system will be ready for receiving commercial LNG supplies. The first such delivery is scheduled for mid-July 2016.
The Świnoujście LNG terminal has been designed to receive, enable re-gasification and deliver up to 5 billion cubic meters of gas per year to the Polish transmission system. The facilities constructed as part of the project include a new breakwater with a length of ca. 3 km, a jetty with a mooring system to enable the unloading of LNG carriers with a loading capacity ranging from 120,000 cubic meters of LNG to around 217 thousand cubic meters. LNG (Q-flex), two cryogenic containers for LNG in-process storage (each with a capacity of 160,000 cubic meters), re-gasification systems and the 85 kilometer long Świnoujście-Szczecin pipeline, connecting the LNG terminal with the Polish transmission system. The Świnoujście LNG terminal is the only facility of its size in Northern Europe and in the CEE. Polskie LNG S.A., a subsidiary of GAZ-SYSTEM S.A., was responsible for its construction.
