Orlen completes investment to add 25% to Poland's gas storage capacity

Orlen Expands Wierzchowice Facility, Raises Poland’s Gas Storage Capacity by 25%

Orlen’s Expansion Boosts Poland’s Gas Storage Infrastructure

Overview of the Wierzchowice Facility Expansion

WARSAW, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Orlen said on Wednesday that an expansion at its Wierzchowice facility, Poland's largest, has boosted the country's capacity to store gas by 25%.

Poland’s Gas Storage Context

Poland has the European Union's highest storage-filling ratio, but covers only a relatively small part of its annual consumption of about 20 billion cubic metres (bcm). The country had been looking to add capacity.

Details of the Capacity Increase

Orlen said the expansion of its facility in western Poland to 2.1 bcm from 1.3 bcm takes the national gas storage capacity to 4.1 bcm.

Operational Improvements at the Facility

The upgraded facility will also allow for increased capacity to pump and draw the fuel out, Poland's top oil and gas company added.

Strategic Importance and Company Statement

"Geopolitics, international tensions and supply disruptions affect commodity prices and economic stability," Orlen CEO Ireneusz Fafara said in a statement. "For this, we are systematically expanding our production, diversifying sources of supply and investing in infrastructure."

Reporting Credits

(Reporting by Marek Strzelecki; Editing by Joyjeet Das)