Construction of Stip-Negotino gas pipeline completed
Construction of Stip-Negotino gas pipeline completed
“The facility behind us is the main measuring and regulating station Negotino, which is planned to serve natural gas with a maximum capacity of 7000 cubic meters per hour. This is the last construction activity in LOT 1, the section from Stip to Negotino, in total length of 36 km and the other parts are completely finished, the line part is completely finished, a hydro test has been successfully performed and I expect as the minister said until the end of next month, possibly the first half of February, to have a use permit, the section to be filled with gas andthe distribution operators to be served with natural gas.
In the other two LOTs, intensive construction activities are underway especially in the second half of this year there is a satisfactory level of realization of the projects. In LOT 2, from Negotino to this place to Bitola, we have a total realization of over 40% of all construction activities and I expect this section to be completed in the first quarter of 2020.
Also in LOT 5 we have a quite good realization in the second half of this year. We have already reached a total realization of over 35% of all construction activities and we expectthis section to be completed by the end of the next year, or possibly the construction may be prolonged for 3 months due to the large number of changes in the course of the construction that occurred and proved to be necessary in the entire section Skopje-Tetovo to Gostivar. This point will also be very important and will be a knot not only for connecting Lot 2, but also for connecting the gas interconnection towards Greece. I am pleased to inform you that a feasibility study has already been prepared together with the Greek operator DESFA and we have already applied in the WBIF for an approval of a construction grant. At the end, we are negotiating with important financial European institutions to finance this section and I expect that very soon we will have a concrete financing agreement. This interconnection is the most important, because we will receive not only a competitive and stable supply system, but we will also have a greater diversification of all our sources for natural gas supply - Bajram Redzepi, Executive Director of NER JSC Skopje.