ORLEN expands Wierzchowice gas storage to 2.1 billion m3
- PLN 580 million project added 800 million cubic metres to Wierzchowice, increasing its capacity from 1.3 to 2.1 billion m3.
- Poland’s total underground gas storage capacity rose by about 25% to approximately 4.1 billion m3.
- Work included drilling three new injection/withdrawal wells, upgrading dehydration systems and installing additional compressor units.
- Wierzchowice was converted to storage in 1995, can be expanded further (potentially to 4.2 billion m3), and is owned and principally used by ORLEN.
Project overview
ORLEN completed an expansion of the Wierzchowice underground gas storage facility with a PLN 580 million investment that added 800 million cubic metres, raising the site's capacity from 1.3 to 2.1 billion cubic metres and increasing Poland's total gas storage capacity by about a quarter to approximately 4.1 billion cubic metres.
Technical upgrades
The upgrade scope included drilling three new gas injection and withdrawal wells, upgrading the gas dehydration system and installing additional compressor units, which improved injection and withdrawal capacities and operational flexibility. The facility was designed to accommodate further expansion, potentially to 4.2 billion cubic metres.
Strategic impact
The added capacity and higher injection/withdrawal rates support continuity of gas supplies and greater flexibility to meet demand from households, the power sector and industry, aligning with objectives of Poland’s Energy Policy until 2040 and strengthening resilience to market and geopolitical disruptions.
Context and system
Wierzchowice is a depleted-field storage site converted in 1995 and is owned and principally used by ORLEN to balance supply and demand. The ORLEN Group’s wider storage system comprises seven underground facilities (five depleted-field and two salt cavern sites); in 2025 ORLEN supplied 8.6 billion cubic metres of gas it produced, equivalent to about 40% of domestic demand.
Source: ORLEN