First Quantities of Gas from Russia Flow by New Route Through Serbia – Test Run of Balkan Stream Gas Pipeline Begins

Two nights ago, the test run of the Balkan Stream gas pipeline started, Novosti has learned. At the moment, the automatic and control systems, the dispatching stations, valves, optics and power supply are being tested, so that the conditions would meet for the gas to start flowing from Bulgaria as soon as December 30.

Initially, the pipes from Zajecar to Horgos will transport primarily Russian gas, but in the future, supply from other sources is possible as well. This will be a two-way gas pipeline, which means that Serbia will get said energy source from Bulgaria and from Hungary.

– The pipes of the interconnector between the Bulgarian and the Hungarian border are filled with gas and all the systems necessary for reliable operations of the gas pipeline which is part of the internal gas transport system of Serbia are being tested at the moment – Dusan Bajatovic, the general manager of Srbijagas, says for Novosti.

He says that the gas pipeline will be ready for operation on December 30 and that Serbia will start being supplied with gas from Bulgaria as soon as January 1.

– This means that we can supply the citizens and the companies with gas from the direction of Bulgaria, which, along with the existing direction from Hungary, now presents new possibilities, but also a greater degree of security of supply of the markets of Serbia, Republika Srpska and the Federation of B&H. This is good news for all consumers, because the price will be favorable as well – Bajatovic said.

The Serbian main gas pipeline, 403 km long, stretches from Zajecar to Horgos. The first activities related to the laying down of the pipes began in late April 2019, and the entire job was finished in twenty months.

JP Srbijagas Novi Sad

Ministarstvo rudarstva i energetike Republike Srbije

Balkan Stream

Srbijagas

Ministry of Energy

Dušan Bajatović

TurkStream

Russian gas

gas pipeline from Zaječar to Horgoš