Serbia, New gas storage in Čestereg

It is about a gas field that is near the end of exploitation, and is located right next to “Banatski dvor” and where about 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas could be injected

In order for gas from Azerbaijan to reach Belgrade via the Dimitrovgrad-Niš pipeline, a new gas pipeline with a larger capacity is needed, or even the construction of two pipelines. 

One that would go to Nis and the other from Nis to Belgrade. As Dušan Bajatović, General Director of “Srbijagas”emphasized at the Kopaonik Business Forum, exports from Azerbaijan directly depend on gas imports from Russia, and if we want to count on liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Greek port of Alexandroupolis, we must expand the gas pipeline capacity. Niš–Belgrade.

For the first section from Bulgaria to Serbia, after more than a decade of waiting, the European Union secured half of the funds, and construction began on February 1, 2022. 

The work should be finished by the end of this year. The question remains how the route from Niš to Belgrade will be financed.

Bajatović told Politika that investment will be discussed with representatives of the World Bank and investment funds, and an interstate agreement could be concluded. The topic is still open. The existing Belgrade-Nis gas pipeline is designed so that its maximum capacity is at the beginning in the capital, and the smallest in Nis. 

That’s why a new one should be built, which will take gas from Niš to Paraćin, Ćuprija, Kragujevac… so that in the end, only the quantities needed for the capital would reach Belgrade.

Bajatović emphasized that Serbia has enough free capacity on the “Turski Tok” gas pipeline and that it is a real blessing that its construction has been completed, because it is the safest way of supply. This is precisely why we can import surplus gas from Turkey, Bulgaria and Greece, and we are also negotiating with Qatar.

Since, our interlocutor stated, the Hungarians raised the price of gas storage six times for injection and three and a half for extrusion, Serbia must seriously think about the accelerated expansion of gas storage capacity.

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