Poland, Slovakia Launch Gas Interconnector - European Commission

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th August, 2022) Poland and Slovakia have launched a pipeline connecting the gas systems of the two countries as well as serving as the last leg of the North-South gas infrastructure corridor, the European Commission said on Friday.

"The gas interconnector between Poland and Slovakia was inaugurated today. It connects the gas networks of the two countries, ensuring affordable supplies and diversifying supply routes," the statement said.

The pipeline is also the last part of the North-South gas infrastructure corridor between the Baltic, the Adriatic, the Mediterranean and the Black seas. The total length of the corridor is about 165 kilometers (103 miles) and it has received more than 100 million Euros ($99.8 million) of funding through the Connecting Europe Facility, which covered 40% of the project costs, according to the statement.�

"I would like to congratulate the transmission system operators, Gaz-System and Eustream, as well as the Governments of Poland and Slovakia, for their effective collaboration and for completing the project in challenging circumstances.

This interconnector will significantly improve the EU's security of supply and resilience of our energy system, in line with our REPowerEU objectives," EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and his Slovak counterpart, Eduard Heger, were present at the inauguration ceremony.

"With Mateusz Morawiecki we just officially launched Poland-Slovakia Gas Interconnector, which connects Northern and Southern Europe. Thanks to this European strategic project co-funded by the EU, we're one step closer to secure gas supplies and ensure diversification by accessing LNG and gas from Norway," Heger tweeted.

The European Commission developed the REPowerEU initiative � the bloc's plan to phase out Russian energy sources and increase the use of renewable energy, as well as find other suppliers � after Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine in February. According to the International Energy Agency, the EU imported 155 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia in 2021, which accounts for 45% of the bloc's imports and 40% of its total consumption.