Greece Expands Energy Gateway to Western Balkans with New Pipeline Deal

A new natural-gas transportation route from Greece to the Western Balkans is taking shape. The Vertical Corridor, which connects Greece with Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine, is expanding toward Serbia and North Macedonia.

Representatives of the Natural Gas Transmission System Operators will sign a Memorandum of Cooperation in Thessaloniki on Friday. This follows a meeting in Athens in July where a technical and commercial working group was established to examine interconnection capacity, market prospects, and projects required to make the new route commercially attractive.

The expansion toward the Western Balkans adds a new branch to the Vertical Corridor. The Greece, North Macedonia interconnector is under construction, with commercial operation targeted for before the end of 2027. North Macedonia has recently signed the contract for the design and construction of its section of the new pipeline that will connect it with Serbia.

The Alexandroupoli FSRU will play a central role in the new strategy. LNG cargoes arriving in Greece can be transported to northern markets, alongside Azerbaijani natural gas delivered through the TAP pipeline.