Poland will completely abandon Russian gas starting from 2023, when the Baltic Pipe pipeline will start operating. The country is also going to significantly increase its gas consumption.

This was reported by Euractiv with reference to the statement of the representative of the Polish government in the field of strategic energy infrastructure Petr Naimsky.

"The Russian contract will expire next year (on December 31- PAP) and we will not extend it, of course," Piotr Naimski, the government's commissioner for strategic energy infrastructure, told a Catholic.

He added that Poland "will certainly not become dependent on Russian supplies."

According to Naimski, "today everything indicates that as of October 1, next year, gas will be shipped to Poland via Baltic Pipe."

A Polish-Danish strategic gas infrastructure project, the pipeline will run along the Baltic seabed and will bring Norwegian gas to the Danish and Polish markets, and will help Poland diversify natural gas supplies.

In June, Denmark withdrew environmental permits for an overland stretch of the pipeline across Danish territory.

Denmark's decision was seen as the first major setback to Poland's plans of becoming fully independent of Russian gas supplies.

Naimski said on Monday that the delays, which were related to environmental issues and the protection of certain species of animals, had been resolved by the Danish partners.

"It seems that we can say... this investment will be completed next year, on time," he said referring to October 1, 2022, as the completion date.