The end of Russian gas? Poland and Ukraine are planning an alternative
Kiev offers Poland cooperation in the construction of an Eastern European gas hub, which will make Europe independent of gas supplies from Russia.
At the end of 2024, the contract between the Ukrainian Naftogaz and Gazprom for the transit of Russian gas through the territory of Ukraine expires. Kiev announces that it does not intend to extend it and proposes to Poland a joint project – an Eastern European gas hub. It is to be based on Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities and Polish LNG infrastructure.
An alternative to Russian gas
According to the Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine, Nikolai Kolesnik, the project will make Europe independent from Russian raw materials. Integration of gas markets, development of infrastructure and increasing capacity between countries will enable gas storage and distribution for the entire Eastern European region.
“The gas hub will allow us to redirect part of the natural gas previously supplied by Russia to alternative recipients,” Kolesnik emphasized, quoted by the TASS agency.
Ukraine has 13 large gas storage facilities with a total capacity of over 31 billion cubic meters. The largest of them, Bilcze-Wołycia, located near the border with Poland, can hold 17 billion cubic meters. For comparison, Polish gas storage facilities have a capacity of approximately 3.3 billion cubic meters, which shows the potential of Ukrainian infrastructure as a storage base for Europe.
Polish investments in LNG and pipelines
Poland bases its energy strategy on LNG gas supplies and the Baltic Pipe pipeline. The terminal in Świnoujście and the floating FSRU terminal under construction in the Bay of Gdańsk are key elements of this infrastructure. The expansion of the pipeline network, including connections with Ukraine, increases the possibilities of gas transmission in the region.
The gas pipeline connecting the terminal in Gdańsk with Wronów is under construction, and the next section – Wronów-Strachocina – is in the design phase. The so-called The Podkarpackie node, connecting Poland with Ukraine, is to be part of the gas pipeline transporting gas to Slovakia and Ukraine.
Cooperation as a chance for energy independence
Ukraine’s proposal assumes the use of gas from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan and joint actions to diversify supplies. For both countries, the project is an opportunity to increase energy independence and strengthen their position in the region.
