North Macedonia plans to join the Vertical Gas Corridor in September as it seeks to transform its gas system from a relatively isolated national network into part of a wider north-south supply route across Southeast Europe.
The strategy is centred on new cross-border infrastructure, particularly the planned interconnector with Greece, expected to enter operation in 2027.
Once completed, the connection would give North Macedonia access to LNG arriving through the Alexandroupoli and Revythoussa terminals as well as Azerbaijani gas entering Southeast Europe through TANAP and TAP. The country currently remains heavily dependent on a single gas supply route.
A second interconnector is being developed towards Serbia. Together, the Greek and Serbian links could eventually allow gas to move through North Macedonia towards markets further north, rather than terminating primarily in the domestic market.
The Vertical Gas Corridor itself is not a single pipeline. It combines existing transmission networks, interconnectors and LNG infrastructure to facilitate northbound flows from Greece through Southeast and Central Europe.
Countries already participating include Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Slovakia and Hungary, while Serbia is also moving towards participation.
North Macedonia is also incorporating a longer-term decarbonisation element into the infrastructure programme. The new interconnectors are being designed to accommodate up to 100% hydrogen, potentially allowing them to form part of future European hydrogen transport networks.
For Skopje, the corridor therefore represents both a supply-security project and a potential transit-market strategy, with the country seeking greater flexibility in sourcing gas while increasing utilisation of its transmission infrastructure.
