Gas Transmission Operator GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. and Eustream, a.s. (the Slovak transmission operator) have signed a letter of intent for cooperation on the development of a gas pipeline between Poland and Slovakia.
”Cooperation with the Slovak transmission operator is an element of the GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. strategy of playing an active part in the creation of an integrated gas pipeline system in Central Europe. The Poland-Slovakia interconnection which is currently analyzed could become an element of the North-South Corridor. One of the benefits of this solution would consist of enabling Central European customers access to the Świnoujście liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal through the Polish transmission infrastructure. The national gas transmission system is also being developed for this purpose. The company will build more than 1000 km of new pipelines by 2014 thus enabling the transmission of greater gas volumes in Poland”, commented Jan Chadam, President of the GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. Management Board.
“Enhancing cooperation with adjacent countries has been one of the priorities of Eustream since 2006, when it started its activity as an independent transmission system operator. The project of interconnecting Slovakia and Poland could strengthen the integration of European gas networks. We are happy to make this new step with our Polish colleagues. The studies will be coordinated so that this additional part of the North-South corridor later following the Slovak-Hungarian interconnector, will serve the market and the security of supply of the V4 + countries”, underlined Antoine Jourdain, Chairman of the Board of Directors of eustream a.s.
The companies agreed to establish a task force made up of representatives of both operators which will be responsible for preparing the technical, economic, environmental and legal analyses of the Poland-Slovakia interconnection project. The final product of the cooperation will consist of a feasibility study and of the specification of the business conditions for the development of the Poland-Slovakia interconnection. The decision on whether to proceed with the development project shall be taken in 2012.
The companies are also planning to jointly apply for funding from the European Union to co-finance the planned analytical work.
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Source: Gaz-System, January 14, 2011;