A new Serbia-Bulgaria gas interconnector has not only been completed, but it has under gun test operations, with indications that it will impact Serbian energy independence of Russia by providing some 60 percent of Serbian gas needs.
Serbia has long been dependent on Russian gas, and there was some consternation recently when Bulgari announced a new gas transit tax that would impact gas transported through Bulgaria from Russia to not only the EU, but also Serbia. Hungarian officials sharply criticized the announcement, but Serbia had little reaction—likely due to the imminent completion of the new interconnector/pipeline.
The new pipeline runs 170 kilometers from Nis to Dimitrovgrad and represents a investment of more than EUR 85 million, with support coming from a EU grant and also financing from the European Investment bank.
The pipeline will transport primarily gas from Azerbaijan tue the tune of 1.8 cubic meters per year, which will comprise up to 60 percent of Serbian needs.
Map of the Southern Gas Corridor, consisting of Southern Caucasus pipeline (SCP), Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP), Trans-Adriatic pipeline (TAP), which was completed in 2020.
