North Macedonia Connects to Regional Gas Network

North Macedonia has formally joined the Vertical Gas Corridor, expanding its reach into the Western Balkans and increasing options for natural gas supplies in the region. The move was formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed by regional gas transmission system operators at the Southeast Europe Energy Forum in Thessaloniki.

Membership in the Vertical Gas Corridor is particularly important for North Macedonia as it will allow the country to integrate more closely into the regional gas infrastructure and gain access to supplies from the south, including through Greece's gas transmission system. By connecting to Greece's gas system, North Macedonia will gain access to the Southern Gas Corridor and supply opportunities through the LNG terminals at Revithoussa and Alexandroupolis.

North Macedonia plans to secure natural gas supplies from Azerbaijan and use the resource in its national energy plans. The country's head of the gas sector, Goran Nikolovski, told Trend that supplies of Azerbaijani gas would allow North Macedonia to cover base and peak loads while also providing greater flexibility for electricity generation from renewable energy sources.