130 million USD needed for completion of underground gas unit in Banatski Dvor

Our fear from possible new turning off of the faucets for gas in our neighbourhood will become history this year if the Government of Serbia, on the basis of the development plan of Public Company "Srbijagasa", announces open competition for selection of strategic partner for completion of construction of underground warehouses for natural gas in Banatski Dvor.
Thus, our permanent problem with the lack of storage space for this fuel would be finally solved and we would not have to depend on anybody else anymore.
According to the plan of Public Company "Srbijagasa", 130 million USD are required for completion of warehouse in Banatski Dvor. This investment would provide total of 800 million cubic meters of gas storage space for Serbia. According to the words of Aleksandar Kostadinović, councillor of the director general of Public Company "Srbijagas", the works in Banatski Dvor could commence in the following two months.

Of planned 130 million USD, which are needed for this investment, 50 million USD will be invested in so-called "gas pillow", which is pre-condition for storaging of gas. "Pillow" already existed in Banatski Dvor, but, due to sanctions, these necessary reserves of gas were spent in 1995.

According to Kostadinović’s estimate, final completion of the works on the reservoirs in Banatski Dvor can be expected before the end of the year. The most important investment for the next year should be construction of alternative road Niš - Dimitrovgrad, as well as the bringing up on Arad – Mokrin section.

With the completion of the warehouse, Serbia would have gas reserves even during the crisis. The question that should be answered by the Government of Serbia is – whether the strategic partner will be Hungarian MOL or whether it will be Russian "Gasprom". Gas, by the way, comes from Russia, whereas Hungarian MOL deals with the transition and includes its services in the final price.