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The release of the gas pipeline that crosses Serbia from the Bulgarian border to the border with Hungary is very important, because it provides energy security to Serbia.
Source: Tanjug
Illustration: EPA, Jens Buettner
That is the opinion of the editor of the Balkan Energy portal, Jelica Putniković. In that sense, it recalls the situation of 2006 and 2009, when the winters were strong and Ukraine suspended the transit of Russian gas, so we depended on the stocks in the Banatski Dvor warehouse and the amount of gas we managed to get out of the help. of Hungarian gas systems.
“We now have an alternative supply route that could reach up to 13.88 billion cubic meters of gas per year in Serbia. That is much more than our current consumption, which is just over two billion cubic meters of gas. , and it is estimated that it will be between 3, 5 and 4.5 billion, when the industry in the non-gassed parts of the country switches to gas, “Putniković points out for Tanjug.
He estimates that with the opening of the gas pipeline, in addition to obtaining energy security, we also obtain a basis to help attract foreign and domestic investors who can now count on a secure supply of natural gas.
As very important in the opening of the new gas pipeline, Tanjug’s interlocutor affirms that it was built in accordance with the legal regulations of Serbia, which is harmonized with the legislation of the European Union.
“When our Energy Agency gave consent and permits to Gastrans for the construction of this pipeline, we had to send these documents to the Energy Community for harmonization, and they gave a positive opinion on them,” emphasizes Putniković.
He believes that the statements about the gas pipeline by Janez Kopač, director of the Secretariat of the Energy Community, were in his opinion, rather than specific objections, that it did not comply with European legislation.
It emphasizes that everything has been done correctly and in accordance with our legislation, which is harmonized with European energy packages.
According to her, Serbia has managed to build a gas pipeline that will raise our gas system to a higher level.
This is because a branch of the gas pipeline to Bosnia and Herzegovina, ie the Republika Srpska, will be built to increase its supply.
“Now we will have enough gas, that is, pressure to gasify Serbia. On the other hand, the European Union constantly insists on diversifying supply routes, which we have now complied with,” says Putnikovic.
He explains that now that we get gas from Bulgaria, for those who find buyers and want to transport gas to Serbia, there is the possibility of pumping gas to Serbia through the pipeline that we now use to obtain gas from Hungary and entering the country near Horgos.
The capacity of this gas pipeline is, by the way, seven billion cubic meters of gas per year.
Also, Serbia is making another gas connection with Bulgaria. This is the Nis-Dimitrovgrad gas pipeline, so in the future we will be able to bring gas through Bulgaria, from other directions, and not just Russian gas.
The gas pipeline was inaugurated yesterday by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and he assessed that this day and this event are important for Serbia.
He pointed out that the most important thing is that now we will be able to attract investors by having gas for the factories.
He announced that very soon, in 10-15 days, proposals will be made for a significant reduction in the price of gas connections for households in Serbia.
By the way, the main gas pipeline in Serbia is 403 kilometers long from the Bulgarian border to the Hungarian, that is, from Zajecar to Horgos.
The Turkish Stream gas pipeline is a project of Russia’s Gazprom and Turkey’s Botash, which should guarantee a stable supply of gas to Turkey, southern and southeastern Europe.
It is 930 kilometers long, with a capacity of 31.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year.
Illustration: EPA, Song Fulai
The first branch passes through Turkey and the second passes through Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary.
Serbia and Bulgaria call that part of the gas pipeline Balkan Stream, and the capacity of each branch is 15.75 billion cubic meters of gas, which is enough for the needs of 15 million medium-sized households.
The commissioning of the Balkan Stream gas pipeline is of key importance for the energy stability of Serbia, because it allows us to significantly improve the energy and environmental situation in the country, said analyst and diplomat Srecko Djukic.
“So far, we have received gas from only one direction, and with this we have achieved the diversification of the gas supply directions to Serbia,” Djukic told Tanjug.
He stressed that gas is a source of energy, but also a raw material of the 21st century, noting that until now we could not be satisfied with the amounts of gas that we receive from Ukraine and Hungary.
Djukic also said that one of the reasons why the ecological situation in certain cities in Serbia is very bad is that so far we have not been able to gasify those cities.
He added that Balkan Stream, with a capacity of 15.75 billion cubic meters per year, meets the needs of the countries through which it flows and allows Serbia to be fully gasified.
“We have a situation where we can gasify Serbia with that, because our economy and our homes are only 20 percent gasified, and we need to reach the European standard of 100 percent, and thus improve the energy and environmental situation, so that investors have gas at their disposal or electricity and use gas as a raw material, which is a raw material without waste, so it is an important facility, ”said Djukic.
He also assessed that for a complete concept of energy stability, as understood in the modern world, we should also have diversification in terms of supply sources.
“Apart from Russian gas, it needs to have one or two directions in which it would touch gas from other sources, such as the eastern Mediterranean or Azerbaijan, and thus Serbia would have the highest possible rate of energy security,” Djukic said.
According to him, our country should also cooperate with partners from the EU and the US so as not to be pressured by the construction of this gas pipeline, especially taking into account the relations between the US and Russia.
“It is not impossible for the great powers to put this on the agenda and condition the use of this gas pipeline with some concessions, especially because we have a sensitive geopolitical position of the central country in the Balkan Peninsula,” Djukic explained.
He concluded that Serbia must get this gas, but also have a constant dialogue with the United States and Brussels.
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