The Lech Kaczyński LNG import terminal located in Świnoujście, Poland is being expanded to increase its annual gas import and regasification capacity from five billion cubic metres (bcm) to 8.3bcm.

Owned and operated by Polskie LNG, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GAZ-System Group, the LNG import terminal has been commercially operational since 2016.

The environmental permits for the Lech Kaczyński LNG import terminal expansion project were received in January 2019.

The expansion project is estimated to cost approximately £380m ($483m) and has been included as a Projects of Common Interest (PCI) by the European Union (EU).

Scheduled for commissioning by the end of 2023, the expanded LNG import and regasification capacity at the facility is intended to strengthen the energy security of Poland.

Location and site details 

The Lech Kaczyński LNG import terminal, also known as the President Lech Kaczyński LNG import and regasification facility, is located on the right bank of the River Świna in  Warszów in the port city of Świnoujście, in northwest Poland. 

Lech Kaczyński LNG terminal expansion  

The expansion project will include the installation of additional regasification capacity, the construction of a third LNG storage tank of 180,000m3 capacity, the construction of the second jetty for LNG loading, unloading, and bunkering, as well as the installation of an LNG-to-Rail transshipment facility.

Gas supply  

Polskie LNG signed a gas supply agreement for the LNG import terminal expansion with the Polish-state oil and gas company PGNiG in May 2020.

Apart from the Lech Kaczyński LNG import terminal expansion, the other strategic energy infrastructure projects being developed by Gaz-System are the Baltic Pipe project to bring natural gas from Norway to Poland and Denmark, the North-South Gas Corridor to link the LNG terminals in Poland and Croatia, and the Poland-Lithuania gas interconnection project.

Financing 

The LNG import expansion facility is being financed through an EU grant of £112 (€128m) from the European Regional Development Fund as well as the Cohesion Fund under the Infrastructure and Environment Operational Programme.

The grant agreement for the project was signed in April 2020.

Contractors involved with the Lech Kaczyński LNG terminal expansion

A consortium of PORR and TGE Gas Engineering was contracted for the design and construction of the third LNG process storage tank, a siding, and the second jetty for the Lech Kaczyński LNG import terminal expansion in June 2020.

The Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaport Authority will ensure the construction of the hydrotechnical part of the berth, the hydrotechnical infrastructure for the transmission pipe rack, as well as the complete mooring infrastructure. 

Selas-Linde was contracted to supply the submerged combustion vaporisers (SCV) for the expansion project in October 2019. 

Tractebel was engaged to provide technical consulting services for the project in February 2019. 

The existing Lech Kaczyński LNG terminal 

The existing  LNG terminal facility has 5bcm/y of regasification infrastructure, a jetty, and two cryogenic LNG storage tanks of 160,000m3 capacity each.

The construction of the terminal was launched in 2010 and it was designed and built by a consortium comprising Saipem, Techint Compagnia Technica Internazionale, Snamprogetti Canada, and Polish engineering company PBG.

The terminal received the 50th LNG cargo delivery in January 2019.