US will be able to ship LNG to Ukraine through the port of Gdansk, — media

The United States will be able to send liquefied gas to Ukraine via Gdansk in Poland, where a floating regasification unit will be based.

According to Gospodarka Morska, a floating unit (FSRU) being built in the Gdansk Bay may become important not only for ensuring gas supplies to Poland.

Due to the demand for raw materials, the importance of the FSRU in Gdansk may become international, as indicated, in particular, by the interest from DTEK, the largest private energy company in Ukraine.

The terminal should be located approximately 3 km from the seashore, directly next to the Baltic Hub container terminal and the water channel leading to the port of Gdansk. This is a vessel adapted for technological storage of gas (LNG) received from methane tankers and changing its aggregate state from liquid to gaseous, that is, through the aforementioned regasification.

The Japanese company Mitsui O.S.K. is responsible for supplying the unit. Lines (MOL), and the contractor is the South Korean HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, located in Ulsan. Delivery is scheduled for 2027.

For the onshore part of the investment, all contracts for the supply of investor materials and equipment, for investor supervision, as well as contracts for the construction of three gas pipelines from Gdansk to the compressor station in Gustożyń have already been signed. Also, on March 17, the official signing of the contract for the construction of a breakwater for the LNG regasification terminal (FSRU) took place at the Gdansk North Port Authority. The investor of the project is the Maritime Administration in Gdynia, and the contractor is the company NDI SA. This is a key investment for Poland’s energy security and the development of port infrastructure in the region.

Due to the introduction of sanctions against Russia, in particular regarding gas supplies from this country, European countries were forced to look for alternative sources of the necessary raw materials. For this reason, Poland, in addition to the aforementioned FSRU terminal, implemented the Baltic Pipe gas pipeline in cooperation with Norway. In addition, gas carriers are constantly arriving at the terminal named after President Lech Kaczyński in Świnoujście, and in order to ensure domestic supplies, Orlen charters gas carriers for the transportation of LNG, which are being built at the Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries shipyard located in Mokpo, South Korea.

The possibilities of gas supply by sea are also of interest to the Polish terminal from countries that are landlocked or otherwise cut off from traditional gas supplies. This is especially true for Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia since February 2022 after the latter’s full-scale invasion.

Former First Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Pavlo Kukhta spoke for the WNP.pl portal. He noted that the authorities are pinning their hopes on the opening of an FSRU in the Gdansk Bay. DTEK, the largest private investor in the energy sector in the country, is looking for ways to increase LNG imports from the US to Europe, in particular to Ukraine. Raw material supplies by sea, good transport infrastructure and the relatively short distance from Gdansk to the Polish-Ukrainian border compared to other alternatives create attractive opportunities.

LNG supplies from the US to Ukraine are of particular importance, as DTEK is actively negotiating with American companies responsible for gas production and supply. DTEK hopes to sign a contract for gas supplies by the end of May, which, in turn, would open up new opportunities for cooperation with Poland. This would mean involving not only the FSRU terminal, but also the entire supply chain, including road transport and rail.

According to Kukhta, the opportunities offered by Poland also stem from DTEK’s experience in cooperation with other entities. Last year, the Ukrainian authorities implemented an agreement with the American company LNG Venture Global, which used a gas port in Greece for this purpose. It is worth emphasizing that this country has also opened its own FSRU terminal near the port of Alexandroupolis, ensuring supplies to the South-Eastern European market. However, the distance from Greece to Ukraine is considerable, and according to the Ukrainian politician, supplies from Poland may be faster and more efficient.

Earlier, USM reported that DTEK plans to import LNG: the first contract may be signed in April.