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BEMIP Gas Regional Investment Plan 2017 |
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The BEMIP region, consisting of Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden is con-
sidered from the gas market perspective as a connected
market, while actually it consists of the few separate
gas markets. West Baltic States (Denmark, Poland and
Sweden) are connected to the European gas market
whereas the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithua-
nia), are interconnected but isolated from the European
gas market. Finally, the Finnish gas market is complete-
ly isolated from the gas markets of other EU states.
Therefore, the gas markets are at different development stages and there are a high
number of gas market-related activities ongoing in the each area. The development
in each area is targeted towards the goals set by the EU’s energy policy for gas
markets that is presented in the form of the EU’s energy union strategy aiming at
creating security, solidarity and trust; a fully-integrated internal energy market;
energy efficiency; decarbonising the economy and research, innovation and
competitiveness. The gas market in the West Baltic Sea area has already implement-
ed the harmonised gas market model set by the EU-wide network codes together
with the planned Denmark and Sweden gas market merger, the Baltic States are
currently working on implementing the network codes together with an integrated
market formation and Finland is planning a full gas market opening in a few years.
The enablers to achieve EU’s target of a diversified and fully-integrated internal
energy market in gas are the planned gas infrastructure projects in the region. There
is a high number of EU-supported projects including those in the second PCI list.
Since the previous GRIP report, the infrastructure in the region has developed well.
The commissioning of Klaipėda LNG terminal in the end of 2014 introduced anoth-
er source and route of supply to the Baltic States. The LNG terminal in Świnoujście
that was put into commercial operations in June 2016, provided a new source of
supply and opened new market opportunities based on LNG in Poland and neigh-
bouring countries.
The infrastructure developments are planned to continue in the near future. In this
context it is worth noting that the initiation of the Balticconnector will integrate
Finnish gas markets to the Baltic States in 2020 and finally, when realised, the GIPL
project will link the east Baltic Sea region to the European gas markets. Instead of
permanent closure of Danish Tyra gas field it will be closed only temporarily until
2021 and the closure will impact the gas supply to Denmark and Sweden so that the
region will be dependent of the gas supply from Germany.
NO–DK–PL project (Baltic Pipe) is planned for implementation to provide a direct
access to Norwegian supplies for the Baltic region and Central-Eastern Europe in the
perspective of 2022. The regasification capacities at the LNG terminal in Świnoujście
will be increased. While the FSRU terminal in the Bay of Gdańsk is currently under
consideration.