The Minister of Mining and Energy, Dubravka Đedović, together with the head of the Delegation of the European Union in Serbia, Emanuele Giofre, toured the works on the construction of the Serbia-Bulgaria gas interconnection. We expect the entire project to be completed in the fall, Đedović said.
Minister Đedović stated that the construction of the Serbia-Bulgaria gas interconnection is of strategic importance for our energy sector, because the construction of this gas pipeline will give us the opportunity to be supplied with gas from several sources, such as Azerbaijan and the LNG terminal in Alexandroupolis, Greece, the department announced.
“In the previous period, we solved many challenges on the project, and today we started work on the most difficult section of the gas pipeline, where the gas interconnection intersects with the highway. We expect the entire project to be completed in the fall, and we will be there to see you through until the last day, until everything is ready for the gas to flow,” Đedović said.
She added that so far about 100 kilometers of pipes, or about 90 percent, have been delivered to the construction site, and that the physical realization at this stage is greater than planned.
“The construction of the Serbia-Bulgaria gas interconnection is also of regional importance, which is why we have strong financial support from the EU for this project. In parallel with the implementation of this project, we started the preparation of spatial and technical documentation for another important project for the gas diversification of Serbia, which is the construction gas interconnections between Serbia and North Macedonia,” Đedović said.
The head of the EU delegation In the Republic of Serbia, Emanuele Giofre, said that he is glad to see how this project is progressing and that the EU continues to be committed to diversifying gas supply in Serbia and increasing the resilience and competitiveness of its energy system.
“We eagerly await the gas that will flow through this gas pipeline in the next heating season. The EU has also offered Serbia to participate in the joint procurement of gas with the EU member states,” Ambassador Giofre said. The tour was also attended by the mayor of Niš, Dragana Sotirovski.
The length of the gas interconnection on the territory of Serbia is 109 kilometers, and the capacity is 1.8 billion cubic meters in the direction towards Serbia. Work on the construction of the Serbia-Bulgaria gas interconnection began in February 2022, and completion is planned for the last quarter of this year.
In addition to greater security of supply and diversification of gas routes and suppliers, the new gas pipeline will also enable further development of the distribution and distribution gas pipeline network in the south of Serbia.
The value of the works on the construction of the gas pipeline is about 90 million euros, and the financing includes 49.6 million euros of EU grants, an EIB loan in the amount of 25 million euros and national co-financing.
Also, the EU supports with a total of 33.6 million euros the construction of the gas interconnection section on the territory of Bulgaria, the length of which is 60 kilometers.
