Project of Serbia-Romania gas interconnection accepted

Representatives of the EU and the countries of Central and Southeastern Europe signed a Memorandum on joint initiation of development in the fields of electric energy, energy efficiency and renewable energy sources in Bucharest on September 28, and Minister of Energy of Serbia Aleksandar Antic said that the new project of the construction of the Serbia-Romania gas interconnection had been accepted.

Antic, who attended the meeting of the ministers of energy of the countries of Central and Southeastern Europe, signed the Memorandum on behalf of Serbia.

Projects of connecting the states of Central and Southeastern Europe and the development of the markets of electric energy and renewable energy sources were considered at the meeting.

Antic told the press that it had been estimated that a considerable progress had been made in the realization of the project of gas interconnection between Bulgaria and Serbia and that support had been given to initial activities tied to the gas interconnection between Serbia and Romania.

– The project of gas interconnection between Serbia and Bulgaria is crucial to the diversification and security of supply in both countries, but also in other countries in the region, primarily Bosnia and Herzegovina – Antic said.

He pointed out that the gas interconnection with Romania would introduce a new source of supply and energy security, as Romania is an important producer of gas, which will become a net exporter of gas as soon as explorations in the Black Sea are finished.

Antic said that the Memorandum extended the competences of the Central and South Eastern Europe Gas Connectivity (CESEC) Group to the field of electric energy.

As he said, the fact that the Memorandum had been signed by the European Commission, nine EU members and seven members of the Energy Community guarantees that there would be work on energy security of not just the countries of the Western Balkans, but also of other countries experiencing certain problems in power supply.

– A list of projects has been prepared, featuring our project of the Trans-Balkans Corridor as one of the top priorities. For Serbia, it is especially important that the EC has strongly supported the project of the Serbia-Montenegro interconnection, which is part of the project of connection Montenegro and Italy with an underground cable, which secures access to new electric energy markets for the entire region – Antic said.

He added that it was estimated that energy efficiency was a great challenge and a great chance for the entire region and that it was a potentially new source of energy, thanks to its importance and the level of savings that could be made.

– Regarding the field of energy efficiency, the countries of the region should use the experience of the EU and its funds, which are important to founding national funds in this field – Antic pointed out and added that, ecologically, renewable energy sources would be the backbone of the future sustainable development of Serbia and the countries of the region.

Ministarstvo rudarstva i energetike Republike Srbije

EUROPEAN COMMISSION Bruxelles

Energy Community

electric energy market

electric energy

energy efficiency

renewable energy sources

RES

Aleksandar Antic

Bulgaria Serbia gas interconnection

Serbia Romania gas interconnection

Serbia Bulgaria gas connection

Serbia Romania gas connection

CESEC