With building permit secured, Polish FSRU project ready for execution stage

Poland’s gas transmission system operator Gaz-System has obtained a building permit for the offshore portion of the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) that will form part of the country’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the Gulf of Gdańsk.

The permit issued by the Pomeranian Province covers the offshore portion and the infrastructure needed for the FSRU’s operation and the approximately three-kilometer-long offshore pipeline connecting the terminal with the onshore system. The unit will be permanently moored to the jetty, with commissioning scheduled to start in late 2027 or early 2028.

The project also entails building 250 kilometers of onshore pipelines between Gdańsk and Gustorzyn to transport LNG regasified onboard the FSRU across Poland. With an annual capacity of 6.1 billion cubic meters (bcm), the terminal is anticipated to diversify supply directions both in the country and the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region. 

“Obtaining the Building Permit completes the engineering stage and allows the Project to progress towards execution. I would like to thank all institutions and authorities for the constructive cooperation and our Company personnel for their commitment to the timely implementation of this strategic project,” said Sławomir Hinc, President of the Gaz-System Management Board.

“We will start construction works on the offshore component of the FSRU Program immediately upon finalisation of tenders and signing agreements with the contractors for the offshore project. In just over three years, we are planning to put the floating terminal into operation and receive the first LNG deliveries in the Gulf of Gdańsk.” 

An environmental decision for the future FSRU terminal in Gdańsk was received in February. This was followed by performing additional surveys forming part of the requirements for obtaining an environmental permit a few months later. 

The Polish player says all contracts for investor-provided materials and equipment, investor supervision, and the construction of the three gas pipelines leading from Gdańsk to the compressor station in Gustorzyn have been signed and the terminal’s entire capacity has been booked.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has been entrusted with building the FSRU at its shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea. Once completed, the unit will be operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) under a long-term time charter party (TCP) agreement.

This will be Poland’s second LNG terminal. The first one, the President Lech Kaczyński LNG terminal in Świnoujście is undergoing expansion, which entails the construction of a third LNG tank with a capacity of 180,000 cubic meters. The terminal received its 300th LNG in July.