The LNG carrier Danuta Siedzikówna-Inka called at the LNG terminal in Świnoujście today. It is one of eight vessels chartered by Orlen and built specifically for the Polish energy company. This was the vessel’s first visit to Poland.

Danuta Siedzikówna-Inka is one of the newest vessels in the fleet of LNG carriers chartered by Orlen. The ship was named and christened in mid-March this year and entered service in April. Today, 14 September, shortly after 9 a.m., it called at the LNG terminal in Świnoujście for the first time, carrying an LNG cargo. The gas originated in the United States.

Today’s call by the LNG carrier Danuta Siedzikówna-Inka was also the 465th LNG delivery in the history of the Świnoujście terminal and the 54th so far this year.

Danuta Siedzikówna-Inka is an LNG carrier measuring 295 metres in length and 47 metres in beam. It sails under the Greek flag and is formally owned by Hardwind Navigation, a company belonging to Athens-based Maran Gas Maritime. The same company also owns another LNG carrier chartered by Orlen, Rotmistrz Witold Pilecki. Both vessels were built simultaneously at Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries in Mokpo, South Korea. Each can carry 174,000 cubic metres of liquefied natural gas, equivalent to approximately 70,000 tonnes. As Orlen has previously stated, this volume of LNG corresponds to around 100 million cubic metres of natural gas after regasification, equivalent to the average weekly demand of all households in Poland. Both LNG carriers have been chartered by Orlen for ten years, with an option to extend the contracts.

Orlen now charters a total of eight LNG carriers ordered specifically for this purpose. The Polish company is not, however, their owner. The first six vessels are owned by France-registered companies affiliated with Norwegian group Knutsen OAS Shipping. The two newest vessels – Danuta Siedzikówna-Inka and Rotmistrz Witold Pilecki – are operated by the aforementioned Maran Gas Maritime. The vessels are used not only to deliver gas to Poland, but also to transport LNG between other countries on commercial terms.

Of the eight vessels, six have already called at Poland on various occasions. Apart from today’s call by Danuta Siedzikówna-Inka, LNG carriers Lech Kaczyński, Święta Barbara, Ignacy Łukasiewicz, Grażyna Gęsicka and Jan Paderewski have previously visited the country. Józef Piłsudski and Rotmistrz Witold Pilecki have not yet called at Poland.

Photo: ORLEN press release