Poland proposes new pipeline from Norway to replace supplies from Russia
Poland presented a new gas pipeline project named "Northern Gate" that could deliver gas from a shelf in Norway through Denmark to Poland, as reported by EurActiv foundation.
The plenipotentiary representative of the Polish government on strategic energy infrastructure stated during the hearings at the European Parliament that Poland wants to replace supplies from Russia with supplies from the West.
The project also known as the "Norwegian corridor" envisages the transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Norwegian natural gas to Poland by 2022.
From Poland, a certain amount of Norwegian gas can be sent to other countries in Central Europe such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, the Baltic States and even Ukraine. Currently, Poland consumes 14 billion cubic meters of gas per year.
A representative of Poland stated that meetings at all political levels have been held including at the level of leaders of Norway and Denmark. There are no political obstacles to the project.
The Ambassador of Norway in the EU stressed that the most important thing is for the project to be commercially viable. She said that Norway exported 114 billion cubic meters of gas in 2015 and is the second largest gas exporter in the EU after Russia.
The Vice President of the European Commission in charge of the Energy Union, Maroš Šefčovič, spoke at the hearing and stated that the EU, so far, welcomes this project.
Technical and economic justification of the project will be ready by the end of the year and presentation will take place next year. This means that commercial structures will soon be able to express their interests in purchasing gas transported by the new route.
The total volume of gas supply of 10 billion cubic meters per year pales in comparison to the Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline’s design capacity of 55 billion cubic meters per year. However, Nord Stream 2 has been opposed by Poland and a number of other European countries. As reported during the summit in Polish Rzeszow, Presidents of the Visegrad group opposed the construction of said pipeline.
Nord Stream 2 is a project that was undertaken by Russian Gazprom and several European energy companies last year. Russia believes that it should run under the Baltic Sea like the current Nord Stream pipeline from Russia to Germany
Some EU countries oppose the implementation of this investment, noting that it would mean a reduction in energy security for the European community.