Serbian energy minister Aleksandar Antic said on Tuesday he
expects the construction of a gas interconnection with Bulgaria could be
completed by 2018 so that the gas could start flowing in 2019, Belgrade-based
media reported on Tuesday.
The 150 km pipeline should have the capacity
to carry 1.8 billion cu m of gas annually, news agency Beta reported, quoting
Antic.
Antic said that 60% of the pipeline will be laid on the Serbian
territory and that the Bulgarian side will help its Western neighbour to secure
financing for the project from EU funds.
Last week, the energy minister
said he expects works on the construction of the gas interconnection with
Bulgaria could start next year.
In April, Antic said he expects financing
for the gas interconnection with Bulgaria to be agreed with the European
Commission by the end of 2015.
The planned bidirectional gas
interconnector with Bulgaria would diversify Serbia's supply options. The Balkan
state currently has just one gas supply route, coming via Ukraine and
Hungary.
Gazprom Export delivered 1.36 billion cu m of gas to Serbia in
2014 as part of a 10-year supply agreement.