Pipe-laying for gas interconnection between Serbia and North Macedonia to begin soon – First pipes for Serbian section of pipeline arrive

The first pipes for the Serbian territory have been delivered for a section of the Serbia-North Macedonia gas interconnection. Work on this interconnection, specifically the laying of pipes along a five-kilometer stretch near Vranjska Banja (part of a total 145 km route), will begin shortly, announced Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic, Serbia's Minister of Mining and Energy in a caretaker capacity.

The Serbian section of the pipeline will cost EUR 153 million, with a planned annual capacity of 1.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas.

Djedovic Handanovic also announced that pipes sufficient for 15 kilometers of the gas interconnection were expected to arrive by the end of October.

– Our goal was to have the gas interconnection completed as early as the first quarter of 2028; however, to achieve this, all necessary processes, primarily those concerning expropriation, must be concluded – the Minister stated.

According to her, the Macedonian side has indicated that they will need to complete their portion of the interconnection by mid-to-late 2028.

– Furthermore, the interconnection between Greece and North Macedonia is set to become operational quite soon, during 2027, which will provide an additional gas supply route. First and foremost, Greece serves as a gateway to Southern Europe, enabling the supply of large volumes of gas, primarily to Central Europe, via the Balkans. This is why it was important for both Serbia and North Macedonia to join the vertical gas corridor – she added.

She pointed out that Serbia was well-positioned regarding gas reserves, currently holding 707 million cubic meters, with these capacities continuing to increase.

– As EU member states, Bulgaria and Greece can provide support to both Serbia and North Macedonia, particularly in terms of dialogue and issues relevant to the energy sector – said Djedovic Handanovic.

An agreement on the implementation of the North Macedonia-Serbia gas interconnection pipeline was signed on August 27 of this year. The planned route through Serbia runs along the Orljane-Leskovac-Vranje-state border axis.

Ministarstvo rudarstva i energetike Republike Srbije

Ministry of Mining and Energy

Dubravka Đedović Handanović

Serbia North Macedonia gas pipeline

North Macedonia Serbia gas interconnection