Jakub Kaczmarczyk/PAP

State-owned fuels company PKN Orlen has kicked off a project to expand the capacity of its natural gas storage depot in Wierzchowice by 60 percent.

The investment in the Wierzchowice Underground Gas Storage Facility (UGSF) in Lower Silesia will increase its working capacity from the current 1.3 bcm to 2.1 bcm of gas, PKN Orlen CEO Daniel Obajtek said at the project’s launch in Wierzchowice on Wednesday.

Ultimately, the depot will account for nearly a half of the country’s overall gas storage capacity, which will reach 4.03 bcm after the expansion, expected in late 2025 or early 2026.

The cost of the investment will come to about PLN 576 million (EUR 129 mln).