EuroPol Gaz, the Polish owner of the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline, has urged Gazprom, the Russian natural gas giant, to compensate them for more than EUR 1 billion. The compensation claims stem from the suspension of gas supplies to Poland by Russia. Jacek Sasin, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State Assets disclosed this information during an interview on a state-owned television channel.
According to Sasin, EuroPol Gaz, the company responsible for gas transmission, has initiated an arbitration case against Gazprom, seeking reimbursement of approximately EUR 187 million for outstanding payments related to gas transmission.
“Europol Gaz, the company responsible for the transmission of gas, filed an arbitration case against Gazprom for the return of around PLN 850 million (EUR 187 million) in overdue payments for gas transmission,”
Sasin said.
Sasin further highlighted that the Polish government, under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Waldemar Pawlak from 2007 to 2012, had failed to recover this amount. He implied that the previous government displayed a submissive attitude towards Russia. However, the understanding at the time was that the funds were given to Russia with the expectation that the gas flow would continue until 2045, enabling EuroPol Gaz to generate profits.
Sasin emphasized that since the gas intended for Poland has not been delivered, Poland has a legitimate right to request a refund. In addition to the reimbursement of overdue payments, EuroPol Gaz will also seek compensation exceeding EUR 1.1 billion for the anticipated future profits it stands to lose until 2045, the agreed-upon year for gas transmission through Polish territory.
The arbitration process initiated by EuroPol Gaz against Gazprom aims to resolve these compensation claims resulting from halted gas flows and the financial implications for the Polish company.