15.12.2011

Feasibility study for the Polish-Slovak gas interconnector

Eustream, the Slovak gas transmission system operator and its Polish partner, GAZ-SYSTEM S.A., have started public tender proceedings to select the Contractor to produce a feasibility study on the conditions for implementing the interconnection between the gas transmission systems of Poland and Slovakia. The public tender proceedings will be carried out with the cooperation of both companies.

“GAZ-SYSTEM S.A., jointly with its Slovak partner eustream a. s., intends to participate actively in establishing the technical conditions for gas transmission in Central Europe, which is why we have decided to produce a joint feasibility study for the planned Poland – Slovakia gas pipeline. Connecting the gas systems of countries in Central Europe is a step in the right direction to guarantee the development of the gas market in the region ensuring the security of gas supplies at competitive prices”, declared Jan Chadam, President of the Management Board of GAZ-SYSTEM S.A.

The Companies expect to obtain co-financing for the project from the European Union within the Trans-European Energy Network (TEN-E) Programme.

“The interconnector will be part of the North-South Gas corridor, which is of strategic importance not just for Slovakia and Poland. The project will certainly diversify gas routes and contribute significantly to the energy security of the whole European Union. The additional cross-border capacity will also increase gas market liquidity”, said Andreas Rau, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Eustream.

The analyses will specify the requisites for the Polish-Slovak interconnector project and will provide information about the general, technical, economic and environmental conditions, as well as other constraints required for its fulfillment. The Study will comprise of two analyses. The first one will specify the business environment for the project. The second analysis will cover issues related to implementation of the project, e.g.: detailed technical description, economic assumptions, cost identification, economic analyses, evaluation of the project in the context the environmental protection and the potential time schedule of the Project implementation.

The Gas Interconnection Poland – Slovakia project will include the construction of a new cross-border gas pipeline, which will connect the natural gas transmission systems of Poland and Slovakia.


More details:
The Parties to the project are GAZ-SYSTEM – the Operator of the Polish transmission system, and eustream a.s. – the Operator of the Slovak transmission system. The Polish-Slovak gas interconnector is part of the North-South Gas Corridor concept, which is intended to connect the transmission systems of countries in Central and South Eastern Europe, constituting a key element in the process of establishing a single European gas market in the region of Central Europe and ensuring the security of gas supplies. The assumption is for the Corridor to connect the Polish LNG Terminal in Świnoujście (with possible source of supply from the Norwegian Continental Shelf – the Baltic Pipe) with the planned LNG Terminal on the Croatian island of Krk (Adria LNG) and potentially with the planned Nabucco gas pipeline via interconnectors between Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Many international and domestic gas pipelines in all the countries in the region, both new and existing lines, will contribute to the construction of the Corridor.

The integration of the systems of Poland and Slovakia, as one of the elements of the North-South Gas Corridor, is intended to ensure that the required conditions for diversification and stability of gas supplies to both countries is achieved, as well as the development of a competitive gas market in the entire region. The connection of the Polish and Slovak transmission systems may enable Polish entities to access supplies from the so-called Southern Corridor, which is intended to supply gas from the Caspian Sea region. The analyzed connection, apart from ensuring access to gas offered on the Polish market, including LNG, may in the future offer the Slovak market the possibility of receiving supplies of the commodity from the exploitation of unconventional deposits in Poland. Based on the results of the study, the project participants will be able to make further decisions concerning future actions.

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