natural gas | Institute of Central Europe

Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1211

Michał Paszkowski - Baltic Team

Ukraine: limited prospects for Azerbaijan to fill the gap left by Russian natural gas

As of January 1, 2025, the five-year Russian-Ukrainian agreement from 2019 on the transit of Russian natural gas through Ukraine will expire. This will significantly impact the availability and price of natural gas in Europe during the upcoming heating season. While Azerbaijan could potentially help fill the gap left by Russian supplies, the chances of this are limited....

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1207

Michał Paszkowski - Baltic Team

Intensification of natural gas cooperation between the Baltic States and Finland

For many years, the Baltic States and Finland have actively worked to strengthen energy security, focusing on the creation of a unified natural gas market, increasing trade, and—since the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine—coordinating anti-crisis measures in the energy sector. One key aspect of this effort was the adoption of amendments to Latvia’s Energy Act...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1185

Michał Paszkowski - Baltic Team

Expansion of natural gas infrastructure in Southern Europe

The process of expanding energy transport capacity is currently underway in Southern Europe, with a particular focus on the natural gas market. Since the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022, the primary goal has been to ensure greater diversification of natural gas sources and supply routes to Central European countries. Given the reduced availability of natural gas...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1164

Michał Paszkowski - Baltic Team

Romania: ambitious plans for natural gas exports

Romania, through the implementation of the Neptune Deep project, has the opportunity to become the largest producer of natural gas among the countries of the European Union. The development of the Domino and Pelican South fields could be an essential element in strengthening the energy security not only of Romania but also of Central European countries. The increased availability...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1133

Michał Paszkowski - Baltic Team

Slovakia: prospects for natural gas supplies from Azerbaijan

The Russian-Ukrainian war has initiated a strategic shift in Slovakia, moving away from the reliance on natural gas supplies from the Russian Federation. In this new geopolitical context, Slovakia’s challenge lies in securing alternative sources of this commodity, rather than in developing infrastructure, which has already been established over the years and currently...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1035

Michał Paszkowski - Baltic Team

LNG terminals in Central Europe: importance and operation

There are several LNG regasification terminals in Central European countries, aimed at securing natural gas supplies from various directions. In the context of the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the importance of these terminals has definitely increased. At present, they are a key tool in efforts to diversify the sources and directions of natural gas supplies, especially...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1027

Michał Paszkowski - Baltic Team

Natural gas and crude oil markets in Central European countries in 2023

Central European countries in 2023 were taking active steps to strengthen energy security, which was a difficult process. A key strategic objective was to reduce dependence on hydrocarbons supplies from the Russian Federation by initiating new investments and continuing those already underway. Importantly, there are still countries on the continent that cooperate with Russia in...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 993

Michał Paszkowski - Baltic Team

Uncertain future of Skulte LNG terminal project

There have been efforts in Latvia to build an LNG terminal in Skulte since 2016, but recent decisions by the government in Riga make the realisation of the investment uncertain. Even the damage in early October 2023 to the Balticconnector pipeline, which connects the gas system of Estonia and Finland, has not changed the Latvian government’s approach to the Skulte LNG terminal....

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Baltic Team, Visegrad Team

IEŚ Commentaries 976

Szczepan Czarnecki | Michał Paszkowski - Baltic Team, Visegrad Team

Reorganization of the gas sector in Czechia

In Czechia, under the influence of the Russian Federation’s full-scale attack on Ukraine, there has been a change in the operation of energy companies, which are supposed not only to meet business objectives but also to strengthen the state’s energy security. In this context, in the past few months, we have seen the implementation of two acquisitions by companies wholly owned...

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Balkan Team, Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 955

Spasimir Domaradzki | Michał Paszkowski - Balkan Team, Baltic Team

Bulgaria: technical government settlements on natural gas deal

In Bulgaria, the new government of Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov has ordered an investigation into the 2023 Bulgarian-Turkish agreement, which provides access for Bulgargaz to LNG terminals in Turkey and the Turkish transmission network. According to the government’s position, the agreement between Bulgargaz and BOTAŞ, which was concluded for a period of 13 years, is...

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