The opening ceremony of the Poland-Slovakia gas connection took place in Strachocin in the Podkarpacie region. “This is proof that the north-south connections can strengthen security between our countries,” said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. “This gives our region prospects of supplying our region with gas from virtually all directions of the world” – emphasized the politician.
The head of government thanked the Prime Minister of Slovakia Eduard Heger for his personal involvement in building gas security “based on the North-South, not East-West system and dependence on Russia”.
This is the gas pipeline of peace, it is the gas pipeline of security, unlike the one that was built by Germany and Russia, with the support of other countries, i.e. Nord Stream I and II, which was the gas pipeline of war – added Prime Minister Morawiecki.
He noted that the new interconnector creates prospects for supplying gas to our region “from virtually all directions of the world”. Reported that if necessary, thanks to the interconnection opened, gas can be delivered to Poland from Algeria, via Italy and Slovakia, or from the north, from Norway or from other directions, via Poland to Slovakia.
The Prime Minister recalled that currently cThe gas consumption has reached another historical record – over 310 EUR per MWh. This is proof of the bankruptcy of the German policy of buying so-called cheap gas from Russia – stressed the head of the government.
According to Morawiecki, the launch of the Poland-Slovakia gas connection also proves that the Visegrad Group, “although today with some troubles”, is rebuilding its strength.
This gas pipeline runs to Slovakia, but these pipelines are later distributed also to Hungary and further south – he stressed.
He added that Poland, together with partners from the Visegrad Group, is working to ensure gas security for the entire region, and in the coming months also to lower prices.
The head of government also noted that Poland, together with Slovakia, is a “security provider” also for Western partners. It is also important because we want the European Union as a whole, also with the support of Poland, to be gas-safe. Today this security is materializing – Morawiecki emphasized.
We have a task ahead of us to fill the gas pipeline between Poland and Slovakia with good, safe and cheap gas. This is a challenge for us for the coming weeks and months – said Anna Moskwa who participated in the ceremony. She recalled that in May a similar Poland-Lithuania gas connection was opened.
Now we are opening the Poland-Slovakia connection, in a moment it will be Baltic Pipe. This means that we are strengthening the North-South connections, we are stronger and safer as Poland and Slovakia. I would also like to point out that the new connections are here in Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, and not in Germany or Austria – emphasized the Minister of Climate and Environment.
Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger emphasized that The Poland-Slovakia gas connection gives both countries “a new sense of security and a sense of freedom that we can purchase gas from alternative sources that will not be dependent on Russian gas.” He added that now it is also important to make these deliveries, which is a big challenge.
Thanks to this gas pipeline, it will be possible to deliver gas from Norway and liquefied petroleum gas from Polish ports to Slovakia. This will strengthen Slovakia’s security Heger announced.
The Slovak Economy Minister Richard Sulik noted that only with this gas pipeline could Slovakia cover all its gas consumption.
He can send the same amount to Poland – directly from Italy or Croatia, where there are gas pipelines and LNG terminals. Slovakia today has a gas connection with all its neighbors. It is not an obvious question. The better we are able to equalize not so much quantities as prices – he stressed.
The problem is not the quantity of gas, but its price: more than EUR 300 per MWh. It is a devastating price, it is impossible to live with these prices Sulik added.
He described the German energy policy as a “catastrophe”.
Switch off nuclear power plants, rent strategic gas storage facilities – I don’t know how you can do something like that. It is a mature state, an industrialized state – and we all suffer because of it. Poland suffers, Slovakia suffers, the rest of Europe suffers. I hope our neighbors in Germany will understand this as soon as possible: it is impossible to continue like this – said the Slovak economy minister.
Rastislav Nukovic, the general director of the Slovak operator Eustream, assessed that the launch of the Poland-Slovakia gas pipeline is a great success for the entire region and very good news in terms of energy security, especially taking into account the current gas supply situation.
The president of the Polish operator of Gaz-System, Tomasz Stępień, said that “the pipeline is completed, gassed and ready for commercial transmission in the second half of this year. “
The Poland-Slovakia interconnector is two-way gas pipeline high pressure connecting the gas node of the national system in Strachocina in Podkarpacie with the Slovak Velke Kapuszany node at the border with Ukraine. The “Brotherhood” gas pipeline runs there – one of the routes for Russian gas exports to the west via Ukraine. The Poland-Slovakia interconnector is 61 km long on the Polish side and 106 km on the Slovak side. On the Polish side, the investor was the gas transmission operator Gaz-System, and on the Slovak side – the local operator Eustream. The gas pipeline is to have a maximum capacity of 4.7 billion cubic meters. gas annually towards Slovakia or 5.7 billion cubic meters. towards Poland.
In June 2022, a trial gas transmission to Poland and Slovakia started.
Connection with Slovakia is part of the so-called North-South Corridor, i.e. the infrastructure enabling the free transmission of gas on the route between the LNG terminals in Świnoujście and on the Croatian island of Krk. The Slovak transmission system is connected with Austria, the Czech Republic and Ukraine, with the possibility of transmission towards Ukraine, and with Hungary.
In Poland, all gas pipelines of the Corridor together with the accompanying infrastructure have been built and operate within the framework of the national system. In total, it is 800 km of gas pipelines and the new Kędzierzyn compressor station. The connection with Slovakia is the last missing Polish element of the corridor.