Slovakia has announced it will purchase 1.2 billion cubic meters of gas annually from Azerbaijan starting next year, dealing a serious blow to Poland’s ambitions of becoming a regional gas supplier. The Poland-Slovakia gas interconnector, completed years ago at significant cost, remains unused as Bratislava chooses a different energy partner.
Economy Minister of Slovakia Denisa Saková confirmed the plans during an official visit to Baku. The supplies are set to begin after 2027, the year Slovakia plans to completely halt Russian gas imports. The agreement would cover a substantial portion of Slovakia’s annual gas consumption, which stands at roughly 5 billion cubic meters.
– We are talking about deliveries of approximately 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 Denisa Saková, Minister of Economy of Slovakia.
An unused pipeline and lost opportunity
The Poland-Slovakia gas interconnector, stretching nearly 170 kilometers with a diameter of 1000 mm, was built to enhance energy security for both countries. The Polish section covers 61.3 km, while the Slovak part extends 106 km. With a capacity of 5.7 billion cubic meters per year towards Poland, the pipeline could cover more than a quarter of Poland’s domestic demand. For Slovakia, the southward flow capacity of 4.7 billion cubic meters could fully secure its needs.
Despite the infrastructure being ready for years, it has never been used for commercial gas flows. Bratislava continued to rely on Russian gas, and now that Moscow’s supplies are being phased out, the Slovak government has chosen Azerbaijan over Poland. The decision comes as a surprise to Warsaw, which had positioned itself as a natural alternative supplier given its rapidly expanding LNG infrastructure.
Poland’s regional hub ambitions face a setback
Poland is building 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 exceeding 20 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. This infrastructure was meant to transform Poland into a regional gas hub for Central and Eastern Europe.
The Polish Economic Institute noted in a recent analysis that the new FSRU terminal significantly increases Poland’s potential as a regional hub. However, the institute also pointed out that despite launching cross-border connections with Slovakia and Lithuania in 2022, almost all Polish gas exports currently go to Ukraine alone.
Azerbaijan offers technology and a broader energy corridor
During the talks in Baku, the Azerbaijani side presented a larger energy corridor project involving electricity transmission from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan to Europe via Turkey. Saková described the project as having great potential for the European market, and Slovakia is ready to offer its own technologies and experience in return for the gas supply deal.
The Polish Institute of Economics maintains that Poland’s role as a transit country could grow in the coming years, driven by the EU’s complete phase-out of Russian gas by the end of 2027 and sustained demand in Central and Eastern Europe. Yet for now, Bratislava has made its choice clear, leaving Polish exporters and the unused interconnector waiting for a customer that may never come.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. Shutterstock/markara
