Serbia’s long-delayed expansion of the Banatski Dvor underground gas storage facility is facing further slippage, leaving the country dependent on additional storage capacity rented in Hungary.
Banatski Dvor currently holds about 450 million cubic metres. The planned expansion would add roughly 300 million cubic metres, but commissioning is now expected later than the previously targeted end of 2026.
Construction began in April 2025 after years of delays.
The timing matters as Serbia consumes around 3 billion cubic metres of gas annually, with about 2.2 billion cubic metres supplied from Russia and 800 million from Azerbaijan. Additional future demand could come from a proposed gas-fired power plant near Niš.
Serbia also rents about 500 million cubic metres of storage in Hungary under an agreement between Srbijagas and MVM.
Banatski Dvor is 51% owned by Gazprom and 49% by the Serbian side. Srbijagas currently effectively controls slightly more than 220 million cubic metres of capacity, potentially rising to around 370 million cubic metres after expansion.
The project is estimated at about €145 million. The continuing delay keeps gas storage among the main physical constraints in Serbia’s wider diversification strategy.
