Poland’s plans to become a regional gas hub have suffered a serious setback. Slovakia announced it will buy 1.2 billion cubic meters of gas annually from Azerbaijan starting in 2027, choosing the Caspian supplier over its northern neighbor despite a ready pipeline connection.
Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Saková made the announcement during a visit to Baku, stating that the supply deal would begin after 2027, when Slovakia ceases all Russian gas imports. The move effectively sidelines the Poland-Slovakia interconnector, a 170-kilometer pipeline completed years ago but never used for commercial flows.
Slovakia’s strategic pivot
– We are talking about supplies of about 1.2 billion cubic meters of gas per year from Azerbaijan after 2027, that is in the period when we will no longer import gas from Russia – said Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Saková. She added that Slovakia is ready to offer its technology and experience to help Azerbaijan develop its gas sector. The Azerbaijani side also presented a broader energy corridor project, transmitting electricity from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to Europe via Turkey. Saková called the project highly promising for the European market.
The decision reflects Bratislava’s determination to diversify away from Russian gas. However, it is a blow for Warsaw, which had hoped to become the main supplier to its southern neighbor after the Russia-Ukraine transit route was closed.
Poland’s unused pipeline and regional hub ambitions
The Poland-Slovakia gas interconnector, with a diameter of 1000 mm and capacity of 5.7 billion cubic meters per year toward Poland and 4.7 billion toward Slovakia, was built to enhance energy security for both countries. For Slovakia, the southward flow could have covered its entire gas demand. Yet the pipeline has remained idle, as Bratislava continued to buy cheap Russian gas via Ukraine.
Poland has invested heavily in LNG infrastructure, including a second floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) in the Gulf of Gdańsk. By 2030, the country could operate three LNG terminals with a combined regasification capacity of over 20 billion cubic meters per year. – The construction of another FSRU terminal in Gdańsk will significantly increase Poland’s potential as a regional gas hub – noted the Polish Economic Institute. But so far, Ukraine has been almost the only destination for Polish gas exports.
Outlook for central Europe’s gas market
The European Union’s plan to phase out all Russian gas imports by the end of 2027 could still boost Poland’s role as a transit corridor. Demand for gas in Central and Eastern Europe remains strong, and Poland’s LNG terminals and interconnectors may yet become critical for the region’s supply security. But the loss of the Slovak market is a tangible disappointment for Polish exporters who counted on a ready customer just across the border.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. Shutterstock
