For years, Białystok was supplied from two sides: from Warsaw and Belarus. After the supplies from the East were cut off, for nearly a year, gas was flowing only from Poland’s capital. The completed project secures the supply for the city during peak gas consumption, e.g. during heavy frosts, pressure drops in the pipeline or sudden supply stoppage.
"This project was one of the key investments for energy security of the residents of the Podlasie Province. It is in line with the policy of diversifying and changing the sources of gaseous fuel supply which has been planned and subsequently implemented by the government of the Republic of Poland. I can assure you that thanks to our efforts there will be no shortage of gas for Polish people, even if the upcoming winters are long and harsh," said Jacek Sasin, deputy prime minister and the minister of national assets.
"Developing the infrastructure is necessary for strengthening energy security and for a reliable supply of gas to homes and customers, and so is access to diversified fuel sources supplied to Poland from different countries. The connection to Lithuania opens northwestern Poland to the gas supplies that the ORLEN Group receives at the gas terminal in Klaipėda. We have a 10-year reservation for regasification capacity there which allows us to import 0.5 billion cubic meters of gas via the Lithuanian terminal every year. We have already received the first delivery this year. Soon, thanks to the gas carrier fleet we're building, we’ll be able to transport LNG cargo to Klaipėda on our own," stated Daniel Obajtek, the President of PKN ORLEN.
The completed project is the first connection point of the Polska Spółka Gazownictwa network to the GIPL transmission network that connected the gas transmission networks of Poland and Lithuania in May 2022. Therefore, in case of a frost, Białystok will be supplied with gas from the floating LNG terminal in Klaipėda, Lithuania, or Lithuanian, Estonian, Latvian or Finnish gas reserves.
"The expanding gas network in the Podlasie Province brings us great satisfaction. It contributes to the sustainable growth of our country and is part of the policy aimed at providing equal living conditions for all residents of eastern Poland. Dependable access to gas is also beneficial for the municipality. It positively impacts economic development and provides an opportunity to attract new investors. Therefore, I would like to thank Polska Spółka Gazownictwa for carrying out the project that ensures energy security for both residents and business owners from Białystok," added Artur Kosicki, PhD, marshall of the Podlasie Province.
Within the project, PSG has built a gas reduction and regulation station with the capacity of 120,000.00 Nm3/h, two high-pressure gas pipelines with the total length of about 500 meters and access roads with accompanying infrastructure.
"The last seven years mark a rapid expansion of the gas network in the Podlasie Province. In 2016, only 24 out of 118 municipalities had access to gas. By the end of 2022, 19 more gained access to the gas network, which means an increase of nearly 80%. The expansion of the gas network also entails new capacity limitations. That's why a few years ago Polska Spółka Gazownictwa planned investments across Poland to mitigate the negative impact of congestion at exit points from the transmission system. Today, we see how important these decisions were for our customers," Robert Więckowski, the President of Polska Spółka Gazownictwa said.
"This project was one of the key investments for energy security of the residents of the Podlasie Province. It is in line with the policy of diversifying and changing the sources of gaseous fuel supply which has been planned and subsequently implemented by the government of the Republic of Poland. I can assure you that thanks to our efforts there will be no shortage of gas for Polish people, even if the upcoming winters are long and harsh," said Jacek Sasin, deputy prime minister and the minister of national assets.
"Developing the infrastructure is necessary for strengthening energy security and for a reliable supply of gas to homes and customers, and so is access to diversified fuel sources supplied to Poland from different countries. The connection to Lithuania opens northwestern Poland to the gas supplies that the ORLEN Group receives at the gas terminal in Klaipėda. We have a 10-year reservation for regasification capacity there which allows us to import 0.5 billion cubic meters of gas via the Lithuanian terminal every year. We have already received the first delivery this year. Soon, thanks to the gas carrier fleet we're building, we’ll be able to transport LNG cargo to Klaipėda on our own," stated Daniel Obajtek, the President of PKN ORLEN.
The completed project is the first connection point of the Polska Spółka Gazownictwa network to the GIPL transmission network that connected the gas transmission networks of Poland and Lithuania in May 2022. Therefore, in case of a frost, Białystok will be supplied with gas from the floating LNG terminal in Klaipėda, Lithuania, or Lithuanian, Estonian, Latvian or Finnish gas reserves.
"The expanding gas network in the Podlasie Province brings us great satisfaction. It contributes to the sustainable growth of our country and is part of the policy aimed at providing equal living conditions for all residents of eastern Poland. Dependable access to gas is also beneficial for the municipality. It positively impacts economic development and provides an opportunity to attract new investors. Therefore, I would like to thank Polska Spółka Gazownictwa for carrying out the project that ensures energy security for both residents and business owners from Białystok," added Artur Kosicki, PhD, marshall of the Podlasie Province.
Within the project, PSG has built a gas reduction and regulation station with the capacity of 120,000.00 Nm3/h, two high-pressure gas pipelines with the total length of about 500 meters and access roads with accompanying infrastructure.
"The last seven years mark a rapid expansion of the gas network in the Podlasie Province. In 2016, only 24 out of 118 municipalities had access to gas. By the end of 2022, 19 more gained access to the gas network, which means an increase of nearly 80%. The expansion of the gas network also entails new capacity limitations. That's why a few years ago Polska Spółka Gazownictwa planned investments across Poland to mitigate the negative impact of congestion at exit points from the transmission system. Today, we see how important these decisions were for our customers," Robert Więckowski, the President of Polska Spółka Gazownictwa said.
