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Natural gas is considered a so-called transitional fuel between the most carbon-emitting fossil fuels, such as coal, and low- and zero-emission technologies. The European Union is gradually moving towards reducing the role of natural gas, but the latest analyses and investments suggest that this fuel will remain a significant part of the energy system for at least several decades. Natural gas is typically extracted far from consumers. The traditional method of its transport involves the use of transmission and distribution pipelines, along with associated technical infrastructure, such as gas storage facilities, compressor stations, and gas stations. Natural gas can also be transported in liquefied form as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). In this form, the gas reduces its volume by about 600 times, which facilitates its transport by sea in tankers and by land in road tankers (less frequently by rail). After liquefaction, LNG must be stored and transported at a temperature of around –163 °C. Before it reaches the consumer, it undergoes a regasification process and is introduced into distribution pipelines in its gaseous state. Transporting gas in the form of LNG involves high initial investment costs, but the increase in costs due to the distance to the customer is relatively small. The opposite is true for pipeline transport, where distance is the most significant factor affecting costs. The aim of this paper is to examine whether the sharp rise in prices due to the geopolitical situation after February 2022 affected the profitability of natural gas deliveries in the form of LNG and via traditional pipelines, using two selected locations as examples. Additionally, two independent sensitivity analyses were conducted, with investment costs and gas consumption as explanatory variables.
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