Bosnia and Herzegovina has approached the structure of the South Gas Pipeline of Natural Gas Interconnection, a mission destined to guarantee energy security and reduce the country’s dependence on the Russian supply.
The initiative’s primary goal is to diversify gas routes and sources by importing American liquefied natural gas (LNG) from a terminal on the Croatian island of Krk and gaining access to sources in the Caspian region. If completed, it would establish the first gas pipeline interconnector between Bosnia and Croatia, with a capacity of 1.5 billion cubic meters.
On January 16, the Bosnian House of Peoples adopted a law that clears the way for the project, removing a significant legislative hurdle after more than 15 years of political gridlock.
The 217 Miles pipe would happen through Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Albania, the Bosnia branch that passes from postušje to show Novi Travnik. The task takes approximately one decade to finish.
Initial estimates put the cost at about $108 million, which will be covered through the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. However, more recent projections suggest that the value could exceed $216 million.
The Southern Interconnection is included in the strategic priorities of the European Union, such as the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, as a step in the transition from coal to white energy. There are also plans to drill the pipeline future-proofed by its design. to make room for hydrogen once fossil fuels are phased out.
Although herbal fuel represents less than 3% of Bosnia’s overall power aggregate, it plays a role in the country’s economic functionality, while powering factories and heating factories around the capital, Sarajevo.
Bosnia depends entirely on Russian supplies, delivered via the Turkstream, which enters the country from Serbia and passes through Serb-ruled Republika Srpska, a region that has threatened to capture Bosnia.
Unlike many other European countries, Sarajevo has not diversified its power materials since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, despite enforcing sanctions on Moscow.
The idea for the pipeline dates back to 2009, when a Russian gas supply cutoff left about 100,000 Bosnian households without heat for two weeks in subzero temperatures and forced businesses to reduce operations or shut down.
Despite its importance, the project faced significant political stalemates. A critical hurdle was resistance from Bosnian Croat parties, which repeatedly blocked its adoption in parliament. They demanded that a new company, managed by ethnic Croats and headquartered in the Croat-populated city of Mostar, oversee the project instead of the state-owned BH-Gas, based in Sarajevo.
This obstruction, continually criticized by the US embassy and European Union officials, undermined Bosnia’s energy security and allowed Russia to have a monopoly on the country’s natural fuel supply.
In January 2024, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent a letter to the foreign ministers of Bosnia and Croatia, calling the delays detrimental to Bosnia’s national interests. He accused Bosnian Croat politicians of prioritizing political gains over the country’s energy independence.
The obstruction has not only prevented Bosnia from securing more reliable energy sources but has also slowed efforts to reduce Russian influence in the Balkans.
The Russian embassy in Sarajevo accused the United States of “planting a bomb under the integrity of Bosnia” by selling the pipe. In comparison, a recent assembly between the United States ambassador to Bosnia Michael Murphy and Bosnian politicians with former President Joe Biden’s with Kyiv, adding. “We can see where this has taken to Ukraine. “
Russia has been looking to destabilize Bosnia for a long time and stop her efforts to enter the EU and NATO through the Government of Milorad Dodik, aligned with Moscow and controls the Srpska Republic. Dodik and his favoritism network were sanctioned through the United States for “enriching themselves at the expense of the public” and for having prepared plans aimed at isolating the country’s region.
Serb Bosnian politicians have also threatened to derail the Southern Interconnection, conditioning their support on the construction of another natural gas pipeline financed and built by Russia.
The pipeline has also been criticized by environmental groups, who argue that the task is aimed at reducing dependence on Russian gas and that it would block Bosnia from the continued use of fossil fuels instead of opening a path to white energy.
They say the allocation goes against climate goals and delays the country’s transition to renewable resources through the expansion of fuel infrastructure and additional fuel.
One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts.
Our network is about connecting other people through open and thoughtful conversations. We need our readers to make their revisions and exchange concepts and facts in one space.
In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site’s Terms of Service. We’ve summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.
Your message will be rejected if we realize that it seems to contain:
User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:
So, how can you be a user?
Thank you for reading our community norms. Read the complete list of publication regulations discovered in the terms of use of our site.