An FSRU vessel for GAZ-SYSTEM’s FSRU programme has been launched at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in South Korea; by the end of 2027, it will arrive to the Gulf of Gdansk and become the heart of Poland’s first FSRU Terminal.
The launch is one of the most symbolic moments in the shipbuilding process. It marks the completion of the main structural work and the transition to the next phase of the project. Just a few months ago, GAZ-SYSTEM announced the laying of the keel, and now the structure has taken to the water for the first time.
“Poland is implementing its bold strategy to build a modern and resilient energy system that strengthens its own security and that of the entire Central and Eastern European region. We are developing infrastructure that not only allows us to effectively diversify our natural gas supply sources, but also increasingly consolidates our position as a regional energy hub and a key link in the European security of supply chain. The FSRU programme and successive investment projects undertaken by GAZ-SYSTEM are increasing our import capacity, opening up new prospects for international co-operation and building a lasting strategic advantage for Poland in the energy sector. The launch of the FSRU vessel marks an important stage in implementing this strategy and serves as further proof that we are consistently strengthening the energy resilience of Poland and the region,” commented Milosz Motyka, Minister of Energy.
“Launching the FSRU vessel is a symbolic moment in the implementation of one of the most important investment projects for Poland’s energy security. Our coastline is now becoming a gateway for Central and Eastern European countries to the global LNG market and the FSRU Terminal in Gulf of Gdansk enhances Poland’s position as a regional gas hub. We are consistently building a modern energy system based on diversified sources and supply routes for natural gas. The project is strategic from the perspective of the state, the security of its citizens and the future of both the Polish economy and the regional gas market,” added Wojciech Wrochna, Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure.
The vessel is nearly 295 m long and 46 m wide. Its tanks will hold 170 000 m3 of LNG, and once operational, the FSRU terminal’s regasification capacity will exceed 6 billion m3/y of natural gas. The LNG delivered to the Gulf of Gdansk by sea will then be transported as natural gas to the national transmission system.
“The launch of the FSRU vessel is one of the key moments in the implementation of the entire FSRU programme and, at the same time, confirmation that Poland’s strategic energy infrastructure is being developed according to plan. We are consistently developing a system that will increase the security of gas supplies and give Poland access to additional volumes of gas delivered by sea from various parts of the world. In parallel, we are working on both the offshore and onshore components of the project, thereby gradually building successive elements of the country’s modern and resilient energy infrastructure,” said Slawomir Hinc, President of GAZ-SYSTEM.
Although the launched vessel already resembles a completed unit, the contractors still have a lot of complex work to perform that is related to the outfitting and integration of the process systems. One of the most important stages will be the installation of the membrane system in the LNG tanks, responsible for the safe storage of liquefied natural gas, and the installation of the regasification module enabling the conversion of LNG back into a gaseous state.
The coming months will involve the start-up and integration of the vessel's systems, including connection to shore power, the start-up of generators and boilers, and tests of the vessel's power systems. This will be followed by testing at sea and with gas to confirm the correct operation of the propulsion system, safety systems, and regasification plants under operational conditions.
The completed FSRU will arrive at the Gulf of Gdansk at the end of 2027, and the commencement of regasification services is scheduled for 1Q28.
Work is also progressing on the onshore component of the FSRU programme in Poland. Over the last few days, the TBM arrived in Górki Zachodnie near Gdansk, where it will bore a more than 1 km-long microtunnel to accommodate the offshore gas pipeline being constructed for the terminal. The tunnel will run beneath the coastal forest, the dunes, the beach and the seabed of the Gulf of Gdansk, enabling connection of the terminal to the national gas transmission system.
In the coming months, major construction work will also begin on the FSRU Terminal jetty in the Gulf of Gdansk. Work on the onshore gas pipelines along the Gdansk-Gustorzyn route is also well advanced. All elements of the investment project – from the offshore infrastructure to the onshore transmission network – are being carried out in parallel and on schedule.