Preparatory studies for the Poland-Czech Republic interconnection Project [known as Stork II] were granted financial assistance of the European Union
The Polish gas transmission system operator, Gas Transmission Operator GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. and Czech transmission system operator, NET4GAS s.r.o. signed a tripartite agreement with the European Union's (EU) Innovation Network Executive Agency (INEA) on the financial assistance of the EU to the Project "Preparatory studies for the Poland-Czech Republic interconnection [known as Stork II] between Libhošť (CZ)- Hať (CZ-PL) – Kędzierzyn (PL)".Under this Agreement, the Project was granted financial assistance of the EU at the level of EUR 1,5 million under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
The preparatory works of the Project were granted the maximum intensity of the EU financial assistance for studies – 50 %. Of the total amount, NET4GAS was granted EUR 0,93 million, and GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. was granted EUR 0,59 million . Total estimated value of the Action "Preparatory studies for the Poland-Czech Republic interconnection [known as Stork II] between Libhošť (CZ)- Hať (CZ-PL) – Kędzierzyn (PL)" amounts to EUR 3 million.
The Poland – Czech Republic Interconnector together with an internal extension of the natural gas infrastructure in Poland and the Czech Republic is the crucial part of the North-South Corridor, i.e. North-South gas interconnections in Central Eastern and South Eastern Europe (‘NSI East Gas’) – energy infrastructure priority corridor defined in the Regulation (EU) 347/2013 for enhancing regional diversification and security of gas supply. On 14 October 2013, the Project of Poland-Czech Republic interconnection [known as Stork II] was granted the status of Project of Common Interest (PCI) by the European Commission. The project aims at the integration of the Central Eastern and South Eastern Europe gas markets into a single gas market of the European Union, at the diversification of gas supply sources as well as at the enhancement of the security of gas supplies.
Poland-Czech Republic interconnection [known as Stork II] Project is implemented in cooperation with the Czech transmission system operator, NET4GAS s.r.o.
The prospective bidirectional interconnector (gas transmission pipeline of diameter 1000 mm) will connect gas transmission systems of the two countries: the Czech Republic network with a 52 km length pipeline from Libhošť to Hat’ (PL/CZ border) and the Polish network with a 55 km length pipeline form Hat’ (PL/CZ border) to the compressor station in Kędzierzyn Koźle. Total length of the prospective gas pipeline is 107 km. It should be noted that the Poland – Czech Republic Gas Interconnection Project also includes the necessary reinforcements of internal gas grid in South-Eastern Poland, construction of the compressor station in Kędzierzyn Koźle and construction of gas node and metering station near CZ/PL border.
Completion of construction of the Poland-Czech Republic interconnection is scheduled for 2018.