The state-owned company Transnafta has suspended further steps in the public procurement procedure for the construction of the Hungary–Serbia oil pipeline following a formal request for legal protection.
The tender process, launched at the end of December, has already faced multiple revisions. Originally set to conclude on 5 February, the deadline for bid submission was extended to 26 February. Since publication, the documentation has been amended five times, mainly due to clarifications and adjustments to bidding requirements.
The planned route on Serbian territory will stretch approximately 113 kilometers, running entirely underground. Designed with an annual transport capacity of 5.5 million tons of crude oil, the pipeline will begin near the Horgos border crossing and terminate at the Transnafta terminal in Novi Sad.
The corridor will pass through several municipalities, including Kanjiža, Senta, Ada, Bečej, Žabalj, and the city of Novi Sad, following a predominantly north-to-south alignment. Although the tender documentation does not specify the contract value, earlier estimates placed the cost of the Serbian section at up to 157 million euros.
The project is considered strategically important for strengthening regional energy connectivity between Hungary and Serbia.
