Serbia’s Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović met with a World Bank delegation to discuss the implementation of the programme’s first phase, the financing model, and the project management structure.
Minister Đedović Handanović stated that the EUR 1 billion project will modernize the country’s natural gas infrastructure, strengthen institutional capacity, and support reform efforts with the assistance of the World Bank. The first phase includes the construction of the initial section of the Niš–Velika Plana natural gas pipeline.
According to the Ministry, the new gas pipelines will enable Serbia to make more effective use of the capacity of interconnections with neighboring countries. In addition to improving energy supply security, the project is expected to strengthen Serbia’s position as a regional natural gas transit hub and generate additional revenues. The expansion of natural gas access in the country’s southern and eastern regions is also expected to support industrial investments.
In the following phases of the programme, Serbia plans to increase the capacity of its existing natural gas transmission network, establish new compressor stations, and expand underground natural gas storage capacity.
The meeting also addressed the World Bank financing process, the establishment of a project implementation unit, and the inter-institutional coordination mechanism. The project will be coordinated by a working group consisting of representatives from the Ministry of Mining and Energy and relevant institutions, including Gas Infrastructure, Transportgas, and Srbijagas.
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