Serbia to begin laying pipes next week for gas interconnector to North Macedonia

Serbia will start laying the first pipes next week for a new gas interconnector to North Macedonia, a regional energy project intended to open an additional south–north supply route for natural gas.

The initial section to be laid stretches about five kilometres near Vranjska Banja, the Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy in a caretaker mandate, Dubravka Đedović Handanović, said after a meeting of energy ministers from Serbia, North Macedonia, Greece and Bulgaria in Belgrade. Around 15 kilometres of pipes are expected to be delivered by the end of October.

Costs, capacity and timelines

The Serbian portion of the interconnector is estimated at about 153 million euros, and the planned capacity of the new link is 1.5 billion cubic metres of natural gas per year. Serbian authorities aim to complete work on their territory in the first quarter of 2028; the route on Serbian soil will be roughly 145 kilometres long.

From North Macedonia's side, completion of the section is expected around mid‑2028 or by the end of 2028, according to the Serbian minister's briefing.

The new Serbia–North Macedonia connection will tie into the interconnector being built between North Macedonia and Greece. Once operational, North Macedonia will gain access to the Southern Gas Corridor and to LNG terminals in Greece, including Revithoussa and Alexandroupolis, enabling gas from those terminals to flow through North Macedonia to Serbia and into Central European markets.

The four energy ministers in Belgrade also noted that the two new interconnectors, together with better use of existing infrastructure, should create multiple supply routes and sources and strengthen the region's energy security. An official statement from the Serbian Ministry of Mining and Energy confirmed that the first pipes have already been delivered and that installation will begin shortly.

Photo: press material from the event