In the energy balance of Poland, the most important resource is coal. However, it's role is diminishing, and the oil and the natural gas are taking over.

The oil used in Poland is in 90% imported - almost exclusively from Russia. In case of natural gas, the 70% of it is also imported, and also mainly from Russia. The change in structure of Polish gas imports is presented in Chart 13.1.

Despite the above, the biggest issue is caused by the natural gas. This is because Poland has potential alternative sources of oil supply, to the level satisfying the national demand for the resource, via the Port of Gdansk (with annual stevedoring capacity of 34 million tonnes, while the national demand for oil in 2004 reached only around 18 million tonnes), while there are no such alternatives in case of natural gas.

At the same time, the events of January 2006, when Gazprom, the Russian supplier, has limited the volume of gas transmitted to Europe via Ukraine, as well as earlier experience of 2004, when Gazprom stopped transmission of gas to Poland and Germany via Belarus pipeline, undermine the credibility of Russia as a gas supplier.

Polish government must therefore take into consideration the necessity of diversification of this resource. With this in mind, the construction of a liquid gas terminal is being planned, which will allow to ship gas via sea routes. Of course, this is only one of a number of activities to be undertaken by Poland. Other plans include the increase of domestic production of gas, and the development of existing gas storage facilities.

Not only in Poland is the diversification of sources of natural gas an issue. As reflected in the analyses of the International Energy Agency, carried out for 30 countries - present and future member of the EU, Europe is increasingly dependent on the imports of natural gas. According to these calculations, as the continent's energy resource, gas is second only to oil, and the demand for it will be on a dynamic rise in the next several decades, to catch up with the demand for oil in 2030.

Imported by the EU member states from outside the EU, the gas is being supplied 5 directions. In the beginning of this decade, the structure was as presented below (figures in billion cubic meters)**:

• Middle East 157
• North Africa 136
• Russia 79
• Central and Eastern Asia 51
• Latin America 18

Taking into account the growing importance of gas for Polish economy, as well as for the other EU members, it is necessary to establish a broad, international cooperation, which will allow to secure the supply of gas on the scale of the whole continent.

*In the assessment of DeGoyler and MacNaughton Company, performed on the request of PGNiG in March 2005, the probable natural gas production in Poland in the years 2005-2009 is 5.9 to 6.6 billion cubic metres per annum. The natural gas production in 2004 amounted to 4.3 billion c.m.

**Source: International Energy Agency, „European Oil & Gas Transit Systems, Poland’s Place in Network. Energy Transit in Central Europe, a Policy Perspective" - a presentation from the conference UNIA & POLSKA Foundation / MGG Conferences Warsaw, 1-2.09. 2005

Author: Emmanuel Bergasse - Administrator for Central and South East Europe IEA.
The presentation is available at: http://www.iea.org/textbase/speech/2005/eb_poland.pdf

And the following address: „Polish energy policy until 2025” (en) http://www.mg.gov.pl/NR/rdonlyres/20205452-144A-4325-8935 

Table 13.1
Poland's gas imports 2003-2005 (in mln c.m.)