Poland to End Import of Russian Gas

Poland is officially ending imports of Russian gas.

Last year, nearly two-thirds of Poland’s natural gas came from Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned gas company. To untie itself from the reliance, Poland is diversifying its sources.

Poland has purchased natural gas from Russia for more than 74 years, making the country Russia’s oldest gas buyer.

“We’re not diversifying our supplies in order to continue with Russia,” Piotr Naimski, the government official in charge of strategic energy infrastructure, said in an interview in Warsaw. “It’s a question of security and the Baltic Pipe is not a part of negotiations with Gazprom,” Bloomberg reports.

The Baltic Pipe, which will link to Norwegian imports, is scheduled to be completed in October 2022.

“If we want to prolong the Gazprom contract we would need to start talks in December 2019, but by that time we’re going to be certain that the Baltic Pipe will be built, so we’re in a comfortable situation,” said Naimski. “At the same time, Poland is ready for any kind of supply risk in the transition period.”

Poland produces more than 4 billion cubic meters of domestic gas each year and projects it may have an excess supply after 2022. Links are being built to export such a surplus to Slovakia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic and Ukraine.

“The connection with Slovakia is key as it gives us access, via Hungary, to other countries,” Naimski said. “We will be able to supply up to 5 billion cubic meters to that region and for some countries it’s their annual use.”

By Samantha Guthrie

Photo: Yahoo