According to a statement by Orlen on Friday, the two firms have signed a memorandum of cooperation in the LNG sector.
The Polish firm said the implementation of the deal will allow Ukraine to create a more diversified supply of natural gas.
As part of the cooperation, Orlen will supply about 100 million cubic metres of gas via the 170,000-cbm FSRU Independence in Klaipeda.
Orlen did not provide further information regarding the LNG cargo.
Following regasification at the KN Energies-operated FSRU-based facility, the gas “will then be transmitted via the GIPL pipeline connecting Lithuania and Poland, and further through Polish territory to the interconnector on the Ukrainian border in Drozdowicze, where it will be received by Naftogaz.”
“The letter of intent between Orlen and Naftogaz forms the foundation for long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation in the crucial area of energy commodities supply,” Robert Soszyński, VP of Orlen management board for operations said.
“Our relationship will be based on commercial terms, but securing an additional source of gas is vital for Ukraine also from the point of view of its security,” he said.
Ukraine has no LNG import facilities.
Orlen has secured long-term regasification capacity at the FSRU-based facility in Klipaeda, reserved until 2032, allowing it to import via the terminal over 0.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually.
It also uses KN Energies’ small-scale LNG terminal in Lithuania’s Klaipeda.
In Poland, Orlen imported LNG via the Gaz-System-operated import facility in Swinoujscie, which was expanded to about 8.3 bcm per year.
In addition, Orlen booked 6.1 bcm per year of regasification capacity at Gaz-System’s planned FSRU-based LNG import facility in Gdansk.
