North Macedonia joins TAP, after reaching agreement with Greece

The governments of Greece and North Macedonia have agreed to build a new natural gas pipeline between the two countries, Report informs, citing Natural Gas World.

North Macedonian minister of economy Kreshnik Bekteshi led a delegation to Athens to sign an agreement on a gas transmission line that would run from Nea Mesimvria in Greece to the North Macedonian border city of Gevgelija.

“This is a big step towards improving the energy infrastructure of our country and it will contribute to the diversification of the natural gas supply,” Bekteshi said.

Greece, for its part, is set to become a hub for regional gas supplies, with the recent launch of the Trans-Adriatic (TAP) pipeline and a gas link with Bulgaria.

The new link to Greece could allow North Macedonia to secure Azerbaijani natural gas through TAP, as well as potentially through a Greek terminal for LNG at Revithoussa.

Greek energy minister Costas Skrekas said the planned network would unite the natural gas systems of both countries, adding a source of economic stimulus in the process.

Construction costs are estimated at €110 million ($130.6 million).

TAP transports natural gas from the giant Shah Deniz field in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea to Europe. The 878 km long pipeline connects with the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) at the Turkish-Greek border in Kipoi, crosses Greece and Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Southern Italy.