Poland's National Center for Research and Development (NCBR) and industry development agency ARP launched a competition for PLN 500 million subsidies for shale gas research programs.

Poland's gas giant PGNiG will certainly apply for funds but has not decided yet what research projects it will file, deputy CEO Slawomir Hinc told Puls Biznesu daily.

Other state-owned companies: PGE, KGHM, Enea, Tauron and Lotos reportedly want to compete for the subsidies from the so-called Blue Gas program.