Swinoujscie LNG terminal 'ready in 2014'
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
24.01.2013 11:20
Poland's first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) import terminal will be ready in 2014, according to the country's treasury minister.
Swinoujscie terminal: photo - polskielng.pl
The investment, which is being constructed at Swinoujscie on the Baltic coast, is part of Poland's ongoing bid to diversify its gas supplies, which are currently dependent on Russia.
“We expect to start importing LNG to Poland in 2014,” Treasury Minister Michal Budzanowski told the Polish Press Agency (PAP).
Budzanowski claimed that even if the launch turns out to be “a couple of months” behind the initial deadline, it is better to be sure that the entire terminal is safe.
“Every detail of this investment is being examined, virtually every welding,” he said.
The new terminal is forecast to process 5 billion cubic metres of LNG per year, which will be imported by sea.
France may emerge as a long-term key player in exporting gas to Poland, with a preliminary contract signed in November 2009 by Gaz de France (GDF).
Poland is also engaged in an extensive project to exploit its shale gas resources, with over twenty international companies currently participating in the search. (nh)