Polish Gaz System gets environmental approval for LNG import terminal

Polish Gaz System has received environmental approval from the Regional Director for Environmental Protection (RDOS) in Gdansk for its proposed floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU)-based LNG import terminal project, it said on February 19.

The decision, declared immediately enforceable, empowers Gaz System to proceed with the subsequent steps necessary for the implementation of this pioneering project.

“I would like to thank the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection in Gdansk for the efficiency in issuing the decision on environmental conditions for the FSRU terminal, which defines the conditions for the project execution and is essential for the efforts to obtain the location decision,” said Sławomir Hinc, president of Gaz-System management board.  

To mitigate the environmental impact, Gaz-System has outlined a set of measures, including the trenchless crossing of Stogi beach for the gas pipeline, laying the offshore gas pipeline under the seabed, and positioning the jetty approximately 3 km from the shore. These measures aim to minimise the project's impact on the landscape, noise levels, and accessibility of the Gulf of Gdansk for sailors utilising the marina at Gorki Zachodnie.

The project marks a significant milestone as Poland's first FSRU and is planned to be anchored at a mooring platform approximately 3 km off the shore, situated in the area of the Port of Gdańsk between the mouths of the Vistula river branches. Both offshore and onshore infrastructure will be constructed to support the terminal's operations. The project is expected to be commissioned in 2027-2028.

As part of the project development, Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines has been selected as the preferred shipowner for the time charter for the FSRU.