Skopje, 25th July 2013 (MIA) – Inclusion of Macedonia in the South Stream Project by signing the inter-state agreement in Moscow last Tuesday will accelerate the gasification in the country, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Zoran Stavreski, said.
When asked after the signing of the Government Agreement between the Macedonian Government and Federal Republic of Germany on Financial Cooperation 2012 and Loan Agreement between KfW and AD ELEM in the amount of EUR 35 million for realization of “Wind Park Bogdanci” Project and “Uprate of HPP Spilje 2”, Stavreski explained that Macedonia signed Tuesday the same agreement with Russia like all 10 countries having joined the gas pipeline previously.
– The Agreement on joining the South Stream project envisages for “Gazprom” and Macedonian state-owned company “Macedonian Energy Resources” to jointly work on the technical solution as for which side the lag from the gas pipeline to Macedonia will be from and how will it be technically constructed. We expect this to be completed in near future and Republic of Macedonia to receive additional quantities of gas, Stavreski said. He underlined that it was a matter of an international project which, although based on the Russian gas, also included stakeholders from several European countries, among which Germany and Italy. This project, as he pointed out, is also related to the construction of the national gas pipeline network in Macedonia.
– These are two different projects, however, they are related. The very fact that we will provide additional quantities of gas and stable gas sources under the South Stream Project to the Macedonian border, a possibility is also created for the project for construction of the internal gasification network to be realized, which is to be funded through the clearing debt in the first stage, while in the second stage, it will be funded with loans from EBRD and other sources, Stavreski explained. Realization of both projects, as he went on, will practically supply gas to all Macedonian households and all industrial capacities, which, on the other hand, will contribute to better gas price in Macedonia as a result of the increased consumption.
– Without any energy-related projects and without investments in the energy sector, no higher economic growth and competitiveness of the economy can be achieved. Therefore, it is important that the inclusion of Macedonia in the South Stream Project, ensures sound and stable supply of energy in the next several 10 or so years for both the production capacities and the households, Stavreski underlined.
Construction of the secondary network in Macedonia, as Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance pointed out, is preliminary estimated at around EUR 300 million. At the moment a tender is announced and activities are commenced as regards preparation of a feasibility study on the network by cities, on the basis of which final figures will be provided.
– It is important that total of US$ 75 million is provided for the first stage, US$ 60 million out of which on the basis of the clearing debt of Russia towards Macedonia. Macedonia will participate with EUR 15 million in the project realization. These funds will practically be employed for the realization of the first leg of the gas pipeline from Klecovce to Stip. By the end of this month or at the beginning of the next one, we expect to receive the final tender for “StroyТrans Gas”, Russian company, partner for the construction of the internal gas network, as regards the first leg, and afterwards the Governments of Russia and Macedonia are to confirm the terms and conditions in the tenders and, somewhere in autumn, for the final agreement with “StroyТrans Gas” to be signed and for the realization of the construction to commence, Stavreski said.
