20 years of GAZ-SYSTEM!
The 16 April 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the gas transmission system operator as a separate entity. The company was created following the EU requirement on unbundling natural gas transmission from production and supply in the process of Poland’s preparations for accession to the European Union.
Two decades ago, a transmission company PGNiG Przesył Sp. z o.o., a company known today as Operator Gazociągów Przesyłowych GAZ-SYSTEM S.A., was established and thus, by creating an independent business entity, gas transmission and distribution was effectively separated from PGNiG structures.
- Twenty years of responsible operation of gas infrastructure and our extensive investments have ranked GAZ-SYSTEM high among gas market players not only in Poland but also in Europe. The anniversary provides an excellent opportunity to thank all our employees committed to maintaining and expanding the natural gas transmission system over all these years. With our solid foundations in place, today we are boldly looking towards the future and have the potential to develop in new areas that are part of our energy transition efforts – said Sławomir Hinc, President of GAZ-SYSTEM.
For 20 years now, GAZ-SYSTEM has been in charge of reliable transmission of natural gas, thus ensuring Poland’s energy security. In 2022, in the face of Russia's aggression against Ukraine to date, our company has risen to the challenge. The national gas transmission system proved to be well prepared for the cessation of supply from the east. The LNG Terminal, Baltic Pipe and other interconnectors were built in time, ensuring diversification of supply sources and directions providing uninterrupted delivery of energy and heating fuel to all Polish people.
- Many partners and stakeholders from the company's business environment, including but not limited to state authorities, network operators from neighbouring countries, engineering and construction works contractors, as well as local government bodies and communities, contributed to this success. Productive cooperation and understanding of the national transmission system's requirements have contributed to the timely completion of projects that are crucial for our country's economic development and energy security. On the occasion of this anniversary, I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to and continues to participate in this process, together with GAZ-SYSTEM – emphasised Sławomir Hinc.
The company has implemented the largest expansion program in the history of the Polish gas industry, building a total of over 3,000 kilometres of pipelines since its inception. Today, the compression capacity of the network has reached 247 MW nationwide, which accounts for almost 100% increase since 2004. Owing to our exceptional perseverance and determination, over PLN 7 billion of support was obtained from the EU to finance these strategic investment projects. The company is in the lead of economic operators in terms of effective utilisation of the funding from the Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment and the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
Currently, the tasks ahead of GAZ-SYSTEM include providing access to gas transmission network for industrial plants, power and heat generation plants that plan to develop their production based on low-carbon gaseous fuel. The company is also working assiduously on preparing the transmission infrastructure for the transport of biomethane and hydrogen. We are also engaging in various initiatives to promote the potential of the hydrogen infrastructure projects planned in the region and, consequently, the possibility of their implementation with EU co-financing.
This July marks yet another important milestone for GAZ-SYSTEM – the 10th anniversary of the GSA Platform, whereby operators book capacity in the primary and secondary markets by auction. GAZ-SYSTEM is modifying and adapting its gaseous fuel transmission service portfolio to new regulatory requirements. In order to meet the EU law requirements, the GSA Platform has further expanded its services to include LNG terminal operators who may offer the resale of contracted regasification and related services to their customers on the secondary market. For many years, GAZ-SYSTEM has also been an active member of international gas industry organisations where the EU operators cooperate to promote the internal natural gas market and develop cross-border trade. The company successfully initiates the legislation process ensuring optimised management of the transmission network operation and utilisation. These activities are aimed at fostering security and reliability of the transmission infrastructure, supporting implementation of modern technologies and encouraging integration of the systems across Europe.