Works Begin on Most Difficult Section of Gas Interconnection Serbia-Bulgaria – Completion of Whole Project Expected for This Autumn

The works on the most difficult section of the gas interconnection Serbia-Bulgaria, where the gas pipeline meets the highway, have begun, the minister of mining and energy of Serbia, Dubravka Djedovic, said yesterday while visiting the site.

The value of the works on the construction of the gas pipeline is around EUR 90 million, and the financing includes EUR 49.6 million in EU grants, a loan from the EIB worth EUR 25 million and national co-financing, according to the ministry’s website.

– The construction of the gas interconnection is of strategic importance for our energy sector, because with the construction of this gas pipeline we will get the possibility of gas supply from several sources, such as Azerbaijan and the LNG terminal in Alexandroupolis in Greece – she emphasized and added that she expected the whole project to be completed in the autumn, the minister pointed out.

She added that around 100 kilometers of pipes, that is, around 90%, had been brought to the construction site, and that the physical realization in that phase was higher than planned.

– The construction of the gas interconnection Serbia-Bulgaria also has regional importance, which is why we have strong support from the EU on this project. Parallel with the realization of this project, we have begun the preparation of spatial and technical documentation for another important project for the gas diversification of Serbia, which is the construction of a gas interconnection between Serbia and North Macedonia – said Djedovic, according to the website of the ministry.

The head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Emanuele Giaufret, said on that occasion that “the EU has offered to Serbia to take part in the joint procurement of gas with EU member states.”

The length of the gas interconnection in the territory of Serbia is 109 km, and the capacity is 1.8 billion cubic meters in the direction toward Serbia. The works on the construction of the gas interconnection Serbia-Bulgaria started in February 2022, and the completion is planned for the final quarter of this year. In addition to a higher security of supply and diversification of the gas routes and suppliers, the new gas pipeline will also enable the further development of the distribution gas pipeline network in the south of Serbia.

Also, the EU is supporting the construction of the gas interconnection section in the territory of Bulgaria, 60 kilometers long, with a total of EUR 33.6 million.