The director of Srbijagas, Dusan Bajatovic, said today that Serbia is considering helping Bulgaria finish the section of the pipeline needed to connect Serbia to the Turkish Stream, and that everything in our country will be completed and ready by October 1 at the latest.
Asked why the work on the Turkish Stream in Bulgaria is late and whether the country is procrastinating because the Americans demand it, Bajatovic points out that Bulgaria is under pressure, but also that the Bulgarians have an additional ambition since they want to be hab for supply, that is, get gas from Romania and Greece.
He recalls that South Stream failed precisely because of Bulgaria’s position.
– We have previously claimed that there will be new versions of the South Stream and here we see the Turkish Stream, as well as that economic interests will outweigh the political ones. This is what will happen now.
According to him, it is being discussed that Serbia may be involved in construction in Bulgaria with a part of machinery and welders, in order to do the first part in the Bulgarian gas pipeline of 308 kilometers as soon as possible, and in order to connect Serbia to the Bulgarian system, which is necessary to obtain gas from the Turkish Stream.
Bajatovic points out that in Serbia, all 403 kilometers of pipes have been laid in the ground and that the necessary blocks and four measuring stations, as well as three “exits”, have to be done at Cuprija, Belgrade and Gospjinci.
– The works are absolutely underway. It is true that we slowed down a bit because it is not good to weld to minus five, and there is no reason as we have enough time, because by October 1st we should finish everything and we will do it. It’s all about deadlines as far as Serbia is concerned – he says.
According to him, Hungarians are already booking capacity, Bulgarians have already sold 100 percent of capacity, as has Serbia, which has sold 100 percent of capacity, all in 20 years.
Banks have started following this and it will be classic project financing, he adds.
– Everything was reported to the Energy Agency, which adopted the relevant acts. We expect that they will enter the certification by the end of March and we expect that the first part will be completed by May and the compressor station by October 1 at the latest – said the director of Srbijagas.
He added that Bulgaria is now negotiating a bit about the gas price, but that Serbia will also negotiate when the time comes and it is normal for everyone to fight for the best gas price.
Bajatovic says about 12.5 or 13.88 billion cubic meters of gas will enter Serbia. He also points out that Horgos will be released and that Serbia will be able to use the North Stream 2 pipeline as a result.
It is thought that US sanctions for North Stream 2 are not directed at Russia but at Germany so as not to be an energy-dominant energy force.
– Here we see how they deal with the issue of Kosovo and the Republic of Srpska, so it looks. There will be a new energy schedule. But the North Stream will be completed and we can have gas from that direction as well – Bajatovic said.
He added that there was nothing with Ukraine that Serbia could be supplied from both the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the North Stream 1 and other directions, since our industry had increased gas consumption by 30 percent, Srbija Danas writes.
