Director of the Company “South Stream” for Serbia, Dusan Bajatovic, stated in Banjaluka that the branch of this pipeline will pass to Republika Srpska for sure what will make all industrial consumers in Srpska supplied with gas efficiently and in most profitable conditions.
“Republika Srpska is the part of the “South Stream” project like interconnector that comes from Serbia”, Bajatovic said to journalists after the first meeting of Interagency Working Group for determination of gas pipeline proposal through Srpska.
Bajatovic, the Managing Director of the “Srbijagas” Company pointed that planned pipeline capacity for Republika Srpska is two billion cubic meters.
“Harmonized construction of two gas plants with 250 MW electricity and 150 MW of heating energy is planned in order to satisfy standards of citizens from Banjaluka and Srpska”, Bajatovic stressed.
He said that it had been agreed on today’s meeting to make Srpska’s national gasification plan in the scope of Republika Srpska’s Government with the assistance of Srbijagas.
“It is possible that we will talk about BiH gas supply also”, Bajatovic said and added that Russian partners are ready to participate in this project with minimum 50% of assets.
According to his words, Russian banks are ready to finance the project of “South Stream” construction and gas plants in Srpska completely.
He said that electricity gained from gas will be produced at market price in Srpska.
Bajatovic concluded that involving of Srpska in the project is the right decision and all activities on gas pipeline construction through Srpska suppose to be accelerated because of that.
Executive Director of the company “Gas Republike Srpske”, Slobodan Puhalac, said that the project of gas pipeline construction through Srpska is also important for BiH.
“Some prejudices and misconceptions have to be dropped, we have to handle this project more optimistically and be aware of huge obligations in front of us”, Puhalac emphasized.
He said that Republika Srpska will acquire all obligations for successful realization of the project in cooperation with “Srbijagas” and Russian partners.
Puhalac explained that main track of the “South Stream” pipeline through Republika Srpka will be in direction of Bijeljina-Brcko-Doboj-Prnjavor-Banjaluka-Laktasi-Prijedor-Novi Grad.
He said that Interagency working group is interested to connect with Zenica in agreement with BiH institutions.
Puhalac added that construction of gas plants that will produce electricity and heating energy is planned in Banjaluka and construction in Prijedor and Bijeljina is also possible.
He said that east part of Srpska will be supplied with gas after increase of pipeline capacity for BiH.
Puhalac stated that branch of pipeline through Srpska will be launched in 2016 or 2017, while construction of one gas thermal plant requires two years.
RS Government President Zeljka Cvijanovic, Advisor of Serbian Government President Petar Skundric and “Srbijagas” Novi Sad representatives also participated in the meeting, next to the working group members.
Source;Serbia Energy SEE desk/ Agencies/Gov RS
