On January 19, 2012 Minister Mikołaj Budzanowski has opened the Jeleniów-Dziwiszów Gas Pipeline, the last element of the natural gas transmission system expansion program in Lower Silesia in the Lasów area. This modern investment will facilitate a 50% increase in blue gas imports from the West and thus initiate real competition on the Polish gas market and diversify of supplies. 

The project is part of an ongoing liberalisation of the country's gas market.  "The energy border has been moved. Today we are integrating with the western gas market" - said Mikołaj Budzanowski, the Minister of Treasury, at the opening. "The project in Lasów is a symbol of freedom of choice, but also an example of a modern, creative way of thinking" - he added.

The Gas Transmission Operator GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. has granted, in the open procedure, the right to use transmission capacity through the Lasów link to all market participants, among others, PKN Orlen or Zakłady Chemiczne Police. Moreover, the link crerates perspectives for purchasing gas on the competitive European market, at a price lower than on the eastern border.  "The modernised transmission system in Lower Silesia will enable the transmission of greater volumes of natural gas to Poland from the West.  The expansion of the transmission point in Lasów will increase import of the raw material from 1 billion cubic metres to approx. 1.5 billion cubic metres annually which will make the Polish gas system less dependent on gas supplies from the East. Moreover, implemented investments will increase the energy security level and the overall flexibility of the natural gas transmission system in the Lower Silesia Voivodeship – said Jan Chadam, President of the Management Board of GAZ-SYSTEM S.A.

The Jeleniów-Dziwiszów Gas Pipeline is the last element of the expansion program of natural gas transmission system in Lower Silesia in the Lasów area, the scope of which included the following investments:

1.Construction of the Jeleniów Hub–Jeleniów Compressor Station (DN500, approx. 1 km),

2.Construction of the Jeleniów–Dziwiszów gas pipeline (DN500 pipeline, approx. 65 km in length),

3.Construction of the Taczalin–Radakowice–Gałów gas pipeline (DN500, approx. 39 km),

4.Modernisation of the Dziwiszów–Taczalin gas pipeline (increasing the head pressure),

5.Expansion of transmission capacity of the measurement point in Lasów on the Polish-German border.

The constant expansion of the Polish gas transmission system, as well as the interconnecting links and the LNG terminal in Świnoujście are essential for the gas market liberalisation as they will increase competition and allow new entrants to use the transmission network and provide them with the opportunity to purchase cheaper raw material on the European market.  The investments implemented by GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. in 2011, along with the possibility of using virtual reverse flow services on the Yamal pipeline, have created the technical possibilities for the import to Poland of over 3.3 billion cubic metres of gas annually from new sources, which amounts to approx. 30% of the current imports.

Along with the completed modernisation of infrastructure in the Lower Silesia region, GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. is also preparing the program of further expansion of the Lasów entry point. On account of that, Market Research Procedure was implemented on the planned expansion of the Lasów link's capacity in the years 2016-2025. The research confirmed significant interest of potential buyers in further expansion of the link on the Polish-German border. The infrastructure will in the future become part of an integrated and technically effective European transfer system, in line with the European concept of energy solidarity.

Implemented expansion of the transmission system in the Lasów area is financed by two EU programmes: the Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment and the European Energy Programme for Recovery.

The Jeleniów-Dziwiszów gas pipeline has been included in the Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment and the co-financing amounts to approx. 43.9 million PLN.

The remaining investments constituting the development of the infrastructure in Lower Silesia have obtained co-financing from the European Commission in an amount exceeding 14.4 million EUR within the European Energy Programme for Recovery (EEPR).  This programme is to facilitate the increase of the security of energy supplies in the European Union thanks to the development of the cross-border infrastructure.