North Macedonia’s natural gas transmission system operator, Nomagas, has hired a contractor to design and build the North Macedonian section of a gas interconnector with Serbia, which is targeted for completion by the end of 2028.
Signing the agreement with the selected contractor, Kumanovo-based Rapid Build (Rapid bild), marks the official start of the implementation of this strategic project for regional interconnection and diversification of gas supply, the Ministry of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources of North Macedonia said in a statement.
The interconnector will link the gas transmission systems of North Macedonia and Serbia with a pipeline about 70 kilometers long, of which about 23 kilometers will be in North Macedonia and 47 kilometers in Serbia, according to the statement.
The agreement was signed by Nedim Rama, CEO of Nomagas, and Toni Karanfilovski, general manager of Rapid Build.
Following the signing, Rama said that Rapid Build had placed the best bid, of EUR 29.4 million, adding that the deadline to complete the project is the final quarter of 2028, according to media reports.
The contract is worth EUR 29.4 million
On the North Macedonian side, the interconnector will be linked to the existing gas pipeline near the village of Klečovce, while in Serbia it will connect to the gas transmission network near the city of Vranje, the ministry said.
Last year, Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović said the country intended to build a 144-kilometer pipeline from Orljane via Leskovac and Vranje to the North Macedonian border, in an investment estimated at EUR 153 million.
The interconnector’s projected annual capacity is 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas.
Gas supply diversification and regional market integration
According to North Macedonia’s Minister of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources Sanja Božinovska, the interconnector will allow the country to access new gas sources, increase its security of supply, and play a much stronger role in the regional gas system.
She also noted that the construction of a gas interconnector with Greece is underway. The pipeline is expected to become operational in 2027.
North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, who also attended the signing ceremony, said that the interconnectors with Greece and Serbia would give the country “full vertical energy connectivity.”
The pipeline will also be capable of transporting hydrogen
According to Božinovska, the interconnector between North Macedonia and Serbia also has a broader regional significance, as linking the gas transmission systems will help create a more integrated and flexible regional gas market.
The project has also been designed to allow for hydrogen transport, in line with Europe’s long-term decarbonization and energy transition goals, she added.
