New Gas Pipeline Under Construction Towards Hungary Between Niš and Horgos, Plans Underway

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The Serbian government has made the decision to build a gas pipeline between Niš and Horgos, passing through Batajnica near Belgrade. This will result in a bidirectional gas pipeline between Serbia and Bulgaria, connecting to the Hungarian border. This move allows Serbia, and subsequently Hungary, to diversify their gas supply beyond relying solely on Russian gas through the Balkan Stream, an extension of the Turkish Stream. Serbian experts believe that this gas pipeline will significantly increase Serbia’s existing capacity, positioning the country as an important transit nation.

Land-use plans are underway

As reported by Belgrade media. Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić signed a document last week approving the detailed plans and the development of regulations for land use, construction, and arrangement.

The direction of the new pipeline between Niš and Horgos

The aim of these plans is to facilitate the construction of the bidirectional main pipeline between Hungary, Bulgaria, and North Macedonia, passing through Serbian territory.

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The plan outlines the route of the gas pipeline with consideration for the „maximum spatial alignment” principle, intending to align with existing and planned protected natural and cultural zones, other infrastructure systems, and areas designated for construction in „the path.”

The working version of the land-use plan is expected to be completed within a year. Serbian authorities seem keen on a prompt process, as any delays could result in financial losses. Once the working version is ready, it will undergo an expedited public review and consultation process in the municipalities mentioned in the plan.

The current plan includes Belgrade, Niš, and Novi Sad, as well as Ada, Obrenovac, Magyarkanizsa, Senta, Zabalj, Inđija, Opovo, Titel, Aleksinac, Batočina, Varvarin, Velika Plana, Jagodina, Lapovo, Paraćin, Ražanj, Smederevska Palanka, Svilajnac, Ćićevac, and Ćuprija.

The idea of a new gas pipeline has been discussed previously

Dušan Bajatović, the director of Srbijagas, mentioned in an interview last August that Serbia is considering building a new gas pipeline between Niš and Horgos. The Ministry of Construction has already decided to conduct a strategic environmental impact assessment of the pipeline.

Bajatović stated that the foundation for the new gas pipeline has been laid with the Serbia-Bulgaria gas connection (interconnector), and the pipeline between Niš and Horgos will create an additional fuel supply route. This will enable Serbia to transit Azerbaijani gas from TAP and TANAP, as well as gas extracted from Greek LNG terminals near Alexandroupoli and on the island of Revithoussa, towards Hungary and Central Europe.

In the first half of 2022, the Revithoussa LNG terminal was the main natural gas gateway to Greece, covering 44.5% of all imports. Russian natural gas covered 34%. The TAP line covered 19.19% of consumption. The connection point for the year covered 2.03%. (Source: X platform)

The director of Srbijagas suggested the pro-government Novosti that the advanced Hungarian transportation system allows for the establishment of a high-capacity bidirectional gas pipeline towards Baumgarten in Austria, Europe’s largest gas hub. This would create a connection between Central Europe, Greece, and Turkey.

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Bajatović stated in August last year that the capacity of the new gas pipeline can be expanded with additional compressor stations on both the northern and southern delivery routes, while the Balkan Stream is also available.

At the time of the interview, it was not clear whether Serbia would proceed with the construction of this gas pipeline, as it represents a significant investment. However, environmental impact studies had begun, and efforts were being made to attract potential investors.

It is currently unclear whether they have found the investor for the construction of the gas pipeline relying on the South European gas corridor. However, the signature from last week definitely indicates that something has happened in this regard.