Declaration for cooperation between GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. and the Croatian gas transmission system operator Plinacro d.o.o.

GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. signed a declaration for cooperation with the Croatian gas transmission system operator Plinacro d.o.o. in the scope of support for the development of the gas market in Central and Eastern Europe.

The purpose of the agreement is the establishment of cooperation between the partners in projects for the development of the LNG market, the development of underground gas storage and the performance of gas interconnectors within the North-South Gas Corridor, that is a priority issue for the European Union.

 
The operations of both Companies are part of the European Union policy for integrating the transmission system in Europe and ensuring transmission of gas through developed cross-border interconnectors.

Plinacro d.o.o.  is the owner of 50% of the shares of the LNG Hrvatska project and is planning to build a terminal with re-gasification capacities of 4-6 bcm of gas annually. The investment decision concerning this will be undertaken by the Company by the end of 2013. The start-up of the Hrvatska LNG Terminal could take place in 2016-2017.

In  2011, Plinacro d.o.o., together with the Hungarian operator FGSZ Zrt, built a 294 km interconnector with a capacity of 6.5 bcm annually that will enable the transport of gas from the LNG terminal in Croatia to Hungary and to other countries in the region.

Both, GAZ-SYSTEM S.A., which is performing the development of cross-border interconnectors and is the owner of 100% of the shares in the Polskie LNG S.A. Company responsible for the construction of the LNG terminal in Poland, as well as the Croatian Company Plinacro d.o.o., are looking for new business opportunities in the scope of the optimal use of the integrated transmission system in the Central and Eastern Europe region, including re-gasification capacities of both the LNG terminals.

***

The Gas Transmission Operator GAZ-SYSTEM S.A.  is a strategic Polish Company responsible for natural gas transmissions throughout Poland. The Company manages assets worth approx. 5 bn PLN  comprised mainly of elements of the transmission system, e.g. more than 9.8 thousand km of high pressure pipelines, 14 compressor stations, 56 hubs and 970 exit points. The Company employs over 2,000 persons. GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. is also the owner of the Polskie LNG S.A. Company, which was established to construct the liquefied natural gas terminal (LNG) terminal in Świnoujście.

GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. is planning to construct over 1,000 km of new gas pipelines by 2014. The most important will be in north-west and central Poland (Szczecin–Lwówek, Świnoujście–Szczecin, Szczecin–Gdańsk, Rembelszczyzna–Gustorzyn, and Gustorzyn-Odolanów). The development of the gas transmission network in Poland may constitute an important element of the North - South Gas Corridor connecting he LNG terminal in Świnoujście with the planned LNG terminal in Croatia with the aid of the transmission infrastructure of Central European countries.

In 2011, GAZ–SYSTEM S.A. completed the construction of the Włocławek–Gdynia gas pipeline, the gas compressor station in Goleniów and the gas compressor station in Jarosław. The Company has also started up the new Polish-Czech interconnector enabling the transmission of approx. 0.5 bcm of gas annually. GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. is also developing gas pipelines in Lower Silesia, which will enable the off-take of increased amounts of gas from the western direction. The capacity at the Lasów point on the Polish-German border presently amounts to 1.5 bcm annually (earlier, it amounted to 0.9 bcm annually).

Investments fulfilled by GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. in 2011 with their possibility of using virtual reverse flow services on the Yamal pipeline have created the technical possibilities to import over 3.3 bcm of gas annually to Poland from new sources (approx. 30% of the currently performed import).

Contact:
Małgorzata Polkowska
Press Spekesperson of  GAZ-SYSTEM S.A.
tel. +48 22 220 15 46, mob. +48 691 911 217
e-mail: pr@gaz-system.pl

Download the press release entitledDeclaration for cooperation between GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. and the Croatian gas transmission system operator Plinacro d.o.o.