According to Serbian Economist, Croatia is discussing a gas interconnector project with Serbia that could give the Serbian market access to liquefied natural gas (LNG) via a terminal on the island of Krk. Croatian Economy Minister Ante Šušnjar said that “only about 15 km of pipeline” is needed to connect the two gas systems, and Belgrade, according to him, is showing interest in such a route.
Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Jedovic-Handanovic confirmed that the option of supplies via Croatia is being considered, but noted caution due to past episodes of oil supply disruptions via the JANAF pipeline.
Serbian Economist interprets the possible interconnector primarily as a tool for changing the market structure: with Serbia’s annual gas consumption of around 2.7-3.0 billion cubic meters and high dependence on a single import corridor via TurkStream, even relatively small volumes of LNG could strengthen its negotiating position and create real “optionality” in procurement. Initial deliveries via the LNG route could amount to 0.5-1.0 billion cubic meters per year (15-35% of demand), and a realistic window for infrastructure commissioning is 2028-2031.
The emergence of an alternative entry point will gradually “tie” the discussion of prices within Serbia to European benchmarks, although this also means greater sensitivity to global volatility in the LNG market.
The context for the discussion is the ongoing search by countries in the region for alternative supply routes and the strengthening of TurkStream’s role as a key pipeline channel for Russian gas to Europe after the cessation of transit through Ukraine.
