Pawel Olechnowicz: Romania Stands Every Chance of Becoming a Key Pillar of the Europe’s Energy Security

Pawel Olechnowicz: Romania Stands Every Chance of Becoming a Key Pillar of the Europe’s Energy Security

Interview with the CEEP Chairman of the Board of Directors, Pawel Olechnowicz, published by the Romanian business daily newspaper “Bursa”, on the 2nd of February. Reporter (R): What exactly are the sources of gas for the North-South corridor presented as an alternative to the Russian gas? Pawel Olechnowicz (PO): The key benefit of the corridor is the flexibility it gives in the choice of suppliers who may deliver gas. At the moment, most Central European countries have to buy from monopolies. They cannot change their gas, oil or energy suppliers as they lack proper infrastructure. This not only constitutes a supply-security risk, but also increases energy prices in comparison with the Western European market. The main problem is that we all face similar challenges, and have been discussing them for almost a quarter of a century. However, we have been doing this separately, which is not effective for infrastructural development. Look at the highways network – it only makes sense when it is internationally connected, so you can get into your car in Gdańsk and drive easily to Athens or Lisbon. The same is true with energy infrastructure. A pan-European gas market goes together with pan-European gas suppliers. With new supply markets on the horizon, Europe is increasingly installing specialist terminals, which will allow gas to be imported from remote countries in the form of liquefied natural gas. The point is that these terminals need to be part of a broader network. With proper infrastructure, you can deliver gas to any of the continent’s terminals and sell it thousands of kilometres away. I do not see a particular threat on [...]