Qatargas Operating Company Limited delivered the cargo. PGNiG (Polish Oil & Gas) provided its assistance as an intermediary in LNG delivery according to the agreement with the Polskie LNG (Polish LNG) – the receiver of the resource used for commissioning of the facility.

The Qatargas chartered Q-Flex Vessel, named Al-Nuaman, carrying 210,000 cubic meters of LNG, delivered the cargo at the newly constructed Świnoujście LNG Receiving Terminal. The LNG cargo is the first of two planned cargoes that will be supplied by Qatargas for the cool-down and commissioning of the Polish LNG Receiving Terminal. According to the current schedule, the second delivery is planned for February 2016.

During the grand ceremony marking the first LNG delivery to the LNG Receiving Terminal in Świnoujście, Qatargas’ Chief Executive Officer, Khalid Bin Khalifa Al-Thani said: 

“We are extremely delighted at this historic milestone and hope that our support in commissioning of this newly constructed LNG receiving terminal will in turn help to fuel sustainable economic growth and development throughout Poland, Eastern Europe and across all nations along the Baltic Sea basin. The Świnoujście LNG receiving terminal is a clear manifestation of Poland’s vision and commitment to ensure diversified, reliable and secure supplies of LNG and natural gas.”

He added:

“Poland represents a new market for Qatargas’ premium LNG and the delivery of LNG into Poland further demonstrates our commitment to provide Europe with a clean energy source, reliably and safely. This terminal will further expand LNG’s reach into Europe – first into Poland and thereafter as a gateway into the land-locked countries in central Europe as well as into the Baltic region. The Świnoujście LNG Terminal becomes the 17^th LNG terminal that Qatargas provides deliveries and marks another significant milestone in Qatargas’ history. Qatargas is extremely proud to be associated with the Świnoujście LNG terminal and with Poland.”

Mr. Jan Chadam, the President of Gaz-System and Polskie LNG said:

“LNG Receiving Terminal, along with dynamically-developed internal transfer grid and inter-system connections, gives Poland a chance to enter the international gas market and exerts a positive effect on price competitiveness of the resource. The Receiving Terminal’s potential makes us an important player in the area of energy independence of the whole region. We provide fuel security for Poland and the possibility to diversify the deliveries to other European states, which, by connecting their transfer systems, will facilitate establishing a competitive gas market. Poland is entering a group of independent, safe and modern countries.”

The Świnoujście LNG Receiving Terminal is designed to receive, regasify and deliver even 5.0 bcm of gas per annum into the Polish transfer system. The Świnoujście LNG Receiving Terminal project consists of a new 3-km long breakwater, an unloading jetty with one berth that will be able to unload methane carriers with the capacity ranging from 120,000 cubic meters (in case of conventional vessels) to 217,000 cubic meters (in case of the Q-Flex size vessels); two LNG storage cryogenic tanks (each with the capacity of 160,000 cubic meters); regasification facilities and an 85-km pipeline joining the Receiving Terminal with the Polish gas grid. LNG Receiving Terminal in Świnoujście is the only facility of such size in the Northern and Central-Eastern Europe.

The project is now in the commissioning stage with commercial operation planned to take place in the second quarter of 2016. PGNiG will receive the LNG deliveries based on the 20-year Contract, in accordance with which Qatargas will deliver one million tons of LNG to the Receiving Terminal in Świnoujście annually.