Serbia considers new interconnection pipeline for gas imports from Azerbaijan
Share
Serbia plans to build a new interconnection pipeline to boost natural gas imports from Azerbaijan, according to Sasa Kokovic, acting assistant to the minister of oil and gas at the Serbian Ministry of Mines and Energy.
Speaking at the 30th Baku Energy Forum, Kokovic stressed the importance of modernizing Serbia’s aging gas infrastructure, News.Az reports, citing local media.
“We now have the opportunity to receive natural gas from Azerbaijan and transmit it further – to Hungary. However, for this, it is necessary to modernize the internal gas transportation system, the construction of which began in the 1960s. Azerbaijan has become a new strategic partner for us and part of a new system that will allow us to diversify our Russian gas supplies – precisely because of the interconnection point,” Kokovic noted.
He added that diversifying supply sources and routes through border interconnections is a critical task for Serbia and is expected to be implemented within the next three years.
“We are considering connecting to the gas transmission system of Romania in the north and North Macedonia in the south. With the support of the European Union and thanks to the construction of the interconnector with North Macedonia, we will gain access to the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) and therefore to the Southern Gas Corridor. We are also continuing to work on issues related to access to the LNG terminal in Greece,” he said.
Kokovic stressed that the successful implementation of these infrastructure projects is essential for increasing the country’s energy security, both in terms of gas and oil supplies.
“We hope that in the future, together with the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), we will find optimal solutions both in terms of consumption volumes and flow capacity. Given the potential of Azerbaijan, we hope that through the new interconnector in the Kalotina region – on the border with Bulgaria – we will be able to receive more natural gas on this route,” the ministry representative added.
