The Czech Republic is urgently looking for alternatives to Russian natural gas: Is cooperation between countries the solution?
Created: 07/04/2022, 12:40 p.m
By: Aleksandra Fedorska
A huge Qatari LNG tanker pulls into the LNG terminal in Swinoujscie, Poland.
© imago
In response to the Russian attack on Ukraine, numerous countries want to free themselves from Moscow's oil drip.
A solution could be a joint project.
Warsaw – The Russian war of aggression in Ukraine has decisively changed the oil map.
The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Ukraine want to get away from Russian natural gas in the escalated Ukraine conflict.
So-called LNG terminals offer the possibility of importing gas in liquid form.
The liquid gas is shipped by tanker.
This requires an appropriate system that accepts the liquid gas, converts it back into gas and stores it.
In the best case, this takes place directly on the coast, with the help of a conventional LNG terminal.
Germany has not yet been able to accept liquid gas, but has decided to accelerate the use of FSRUs (Floating Storage and Regasification Units).
Unlike a stationary LNG terminal, FSRU facilities are housed on ships and are located on water rather than on land.
These systems are flexible and can be up and running much faster.
They are also financially cheaper than building a regular stationary LNG terminal.
Their disadvantage is a relatively low capacity, which is between 5 and 6 billion cubic meters per year, depending on the ship.
Poland is already further along.
A conventional LNG terminal is located directly on the German border in Świnoujście, Poland.
In addition to this stationary facility, which is currently being further expanded to be able to ship up to 8.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year, there will be an FSRU terminal in Gdańsk Bay by 2025.
The capacities here will be around 6 billion cubic meters.
Ukraine-Russia war changes oil map: A new joint LNG project should help
With access to the Baltic Sea and the existing infrastructure, Poland has a clear advantage.
However, Poland's southern neighbors, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, are severely disadvantaged.
Access to the sea has also deteriorated considerably for Ukraine since Russia blocked Ukrainian ports during the Ukraine war.
As the Reuters press agency recently reported, there are already talks between Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic about significant LNG deliveries that could be loaded via Polish terminals.
However, it is highly probable that the Czech and Slovak gas demand exceeds the existing capacities.
That's why we're talking about another joint project.
“We can consider different options.
We could open another FSRU facility and rent another ship, but that is the responsibility of our partners,” said Polish Climate and Environment Minister Anna Moskwa.
It is still unclear where the third terminal will be anchored.
However, it is believed that the second ship could be located in close proximity to the first FSRU in order to be able to use the capacities and the shared infrastructure more efficiently.
The editor-in-chief of the Polish energy
portal Biznesalert Wojciech Jakóbik
sees the possibility that Ukraine will take part in these talks and become a partner of Poland, which could cover its gas needs through the Polish terminals.
The Czech Republic needs the natural gas – Ukraine could also participate in the LNG terminal
In principle, Ukraine could therefore be another country involved in the creation of a third LNG terminal in Poland.
However, it is still completely unclear how the needs situation in Ukraine will develop as a result of the war.
Meanwhile, especially in the case of the Czech Republic, the demand for around 9 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year is relatively high.
Therefore, the Czechs are urgently trying to find new sources and methods to secure their supply.
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Czech Industry Minister Jozef Síkela told the
E15
newspaper that the Czech Republic is negotiating with the Netherlands, Germany and Poland to guarantee the capacity of several floating LNG terminals.
The expansion of gas storage capacities and the use of river tankers are also under discussion.
However, Jiří Gavor, Director of the Association of Independent Energy Suppliers, is skeptical about these measures.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki (standing left) and his Czech counterpart Petr Fiala (standing right), watch as right-seated Czech Transport Minister Martin Kupka and Polish Infrastructure and Development Minister Andrzej Adamczyk address a press conference following a joint meeting of the Czech and Polish governments signed a memorandum in Liechtenstein.
© Vit Simanek / Imago
“Liquid gas storage facilities in the Czech Republic may be of limited importance for supply.
But replacing the 9 billion cubic meters of natural gas that our republic needs is certainly not possible using river tankers.
It's definitely not something that can be solved easily,” Gavor told Czech media.
According to Gavor, the Czech Republic needs a conventional gas pipeline and direct access to gas supplies.
On June 3rd, the Czech and Polish Transport Ministers Martin Kupka and Andrzej Adamczyk met to discuss the development of joint transport links.
The connection to the LNG terminal in Świnoujście was on the agenda.
The Czech Republic already announced at the beginning of this year that it wanted to invest in Świnoujście in order to secure future capacities in this way.
(Aleksandra Fedorska)
