Poland’s FSRU project taking shape as onshore segment makes new inroads

Poland’s gas transmission system operator, Gaz-System, has disclosed progress in the construction of the onshore section of the country’s project related to a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), which will be part of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal located in the Gulf of Gdańsk.

A visit to the site of the one-kilometer direct pipe drilling in the vicinity of Kwidzyn, attended by the President of Gaz-System, representatives of contractors, local government officials, and journalists, served to highlight the drilling activity under the Vistula River, 1,0000-meter-long and 1,000 mm in diameter, carried out with the direct pipe technology on the route of the Gardeja-Kolnik gas pipeline.

Since this technology is said to minimize the environmental impact, the milestone is seen as an important stage of the investment in the implementation of the onshore part of the FSRU program. Divided into two sections, the first part is around 300 meters long and the second about 700 meters. The Polish player describes this as the longest drilling on the construction site of the gas pipeline and the second longest on the route of 250 kilometers of gas pipelines from Gdańsk to Gustorzyn.

During the visit, attendees had the opportunity to see the operation of an innovative machine during direct pipe drilling, known as pipe thruster, and an advanced control system that precisely controls the trajectory of the underground passage, perceived to ensure the highest accuracy and safety of the entire process.

Sławomir Hinc, President of Gaz-System, commented: “At the moment, GAZ-SYSTEM is implementing the third large investment on the Baltic Sea – the FSRU Programme. The FSRU terminal in the Gulf of Gdańsk, the Terminal LNG terminal in Świnoujście and Baltic Pipe change the perception of the gas map of Poland, on which Pomerania has become crucial for the energy sector.”

The Gardeja – Kolniki gas pipeline will pass under the Vistula River without trenching twice, using direct pipe technology. The total length of all planned trenchless crossings on the entire FSRU route is approximately 15.6 kilometers. Advanced earthworks are ongoing at the construction site of the Gardeja-Kolnik gas pipeline, with preparations for welding and work related to laying the pipeline underway.

According to Gaz-System, construction works are being carried out by Stalprofil, the contractor of the direct pipe drilling is GGT Solutions, and the supplier of pipes used in the drilling is Izostal. All three companies are Polish entities, which constitute an important element of local content in the implementation of the project.

“I can safely say that our company specializes in using non-invasive methods of passing gas pipelines under terrain obstacles. In the onshore and offshore parts of the FSRU Program, we will use these technologies multiple times, because they limit interference with the natural environment and allow for the preservation of the landscape values ​​of valuable natural areas,”added Hinc.

Furthermore, GAZ-SYSTEM will complete eight crossings with a total length of over 5.2 kilometers using the direct pipe trenchless technology as part of the construction of the onshore part of the FSRU program. Among key crossings of rivers and watercourses are Martwa Wisła (Kolnik-Gdańsk, 1,042 meters), Wisła (Gardeja-Kolnik, 1,000 meters; Gustorzyn-Gardeja 670 meters), Wierzyca (523 meters), Kanał Młyński (558 meters), and Drwęca (536 meters).

The project also entails crossings of the A1 motorway and ecological areas. After getting a building permit for the offshore portion of FSRU, Gaz-System signed a deal with a consortium encompassing Gap İnşaat Anasayfa, Unitek İnşaat San, and Fabe Polska in April 2025. The selection was also confirmed the following month.

As a result, work on both the offshore and onshore parts of the FSRU project is moving forward. Polish suppliers and contractors will implement the entire onshore part of the FRSU program and 70% of its offshore part. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will bring the FSRU to life at its shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea.

This unit will be operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) under a long-term time charter party (TCP) agreement, as Poland’s second LNG terminal, after the first one, known as the President Lech Kaczyński LNG terminal in Świnoujście, increased its regasification capacity to 8.3 billion cubic meters (bcm).