New opportunities for importing natural gas to Poland from the west

Photo of the article Since 1 January 2015, Gas Transmission Operator GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. has been providing its customers with new technical capabilities of importing gas into Poland from the west using the Yamal gas pipeline. This was made possible by the expansion of the point in Włocławek.

The ability to import gas from the west using virtual reversal on the Yamal gas pipeline, as part of the continuously provided service, has increased by 3.2 billion cu.m. per annum (firm capacity). This means that it is now possible to continuously import approximately 5.5 billion cu.m. of natural gas per year into Poland from Germany through just the Mallnow reversal. At present, the additional capacity has been allocated to customers through auctions for quarterly products held in December 2014.
Furthermore, interruptible capacity is offered at the Mallnow reversal enabling Poland to additionally import approximately 2.7 billion cu.m. per year in the event that the flow is maintained along the Yamal pipeline towards Germany. This change means that the current technical capabilities of importing gas into Poland from the West and the South represent more than 90% (an increase of over 20%) of our import needs.
GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. was appointed the independent operator of the Polish section of the Yamal gas pipeline by the President of the ERO in November 2010. Free capacity has been made available to players on the market since November 2011, within the framework of the backhauling (virtual reversal) service provided in the transmission of gas using the Yamal gas pipeline from the east. Physical reversal was also made possible from April 2014, enabling the transmission of gas from Germany to Poland in the situation where gas is not transmitted via the Yamal gas pipeline from the east.
GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. has been making investments since 2009, which are integrating the Polish transmission system with those of the EU countries in order to increase the technical capabilities of importing gas into Poland. The Poland – Czech Republic interconnection was built, the Poland – Germany interconnection was extended and the ability to import gas from the west on the Polish section of the Yamal gas pipeline was created in 2011. This means that the current technical capabilities of importing gas into Poland (other than from the east) amount to more than 10 billion cu.m. Poland was only able to import 1 billion cu.m. of gas from the west in 2009.