03.06.2015
Preparatory studies and engineering works for the Poland – Slovakia Gas Interconnection Project were granted financial assistance of the European Union
The Slovak transmission system operator, eustream, a.s. (EUSTREAM) and its Polish partner, Gas transmission Operator GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. (GAZ-SYSTEM) signed a tripartite agreement with the European Union´s (EU) innovation Network Executive Agency (INEA) on the financial assistance of the EU to the project "Preparatory studies and engineering works for the Poland - Slovakia Gas Interconnection".
Under this Agreement, the Project was granted financial assistance of the EU at the level of EUR 4.6 million under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
The preparatory works of the Project were granted the maximum intensity of the EU financial assistance for studies – 50 %. Of the total amount, EUSTREAM was granted EUR 2.33 million, and GAZ-SYSTEM was granted EUR 2.26 million. Total estimated value of the Action "Preparatory studies and engineering works for the Poland - Slovakia Gas Interconnection" amounts to EUR 9.2 million.
The Poland – Slovakia Gas Interconnection together with an internal extension of the natural gas infrastructure in Poland is a part of the North-South Corridor, i.e. North-South gas interconnections in Central Eastern and South Eastern Europe (‘NSI East Gas’) – energy infrastructure priority corridor defined in the Regulation (EU) 347/2013 for enhancing regional diversification and security of gas supply. On 14 October 2013, the Project of Poland – Slovakia Gas Interconnection was granted the status of Project of Common Interest (PCI) by the European Commission. The connection of natural gas transmission systems of Poland and Slovakia is intended to assure diversification of sources, routes and stability of gas supplies to both countries. The Project would significantly improve energy security in the whole CEE and SEE region by increasing the diversification of gas supplies and reducing the current level of dependency on one single source gas supplies.
Poland – Slovakia Gas Interconnection Project is implemented in cooperation with the Slovak transmission system operator, EUSTREAM.
The prospective bidirectional interconnection (gas transmission pipeline of diameter 1000 mm) will connect gas transmission systems of the two countries: the Slovak Gas Compressor Station in Veľké Kapušany and the Polish gas node in Strachocina. Total length of the interconnection is 164 km, of which about 106 km fall within the territory of Slovakia and 58 km is in Poland. It should be noted that the Poland–Slovakia Gas Interconnection Project also includes the necessary reinforcements of internal gas grid in South-Eastern Poland, construction of the compressor station in Strachocina, modification of existing compressor station in Veľké Kapušany and construction of metering station near SK/PL border.
Launch into operation of the Poland – Slovakia Gas Interconnection is scheduled for 2019.