Two further important steps in the lead-up to the construction of a natural gas pipeline linking the Greek and North Macedonian grids are expected to be made in September.

DESFA, Greece’s gas grid operator, and North Macedonia’s energy sources company NER are expected to sign an agreement next month as a follow-up to an agreement signed a month ago by the energy ministers of the two countries in Lagonisi, east of Athens.

The latest agreement will stipulate technical issues, as well as guarantees, concerning the new pipeline, paving the way for tenders concerning the project’s development.

In addition, also in September, DESFA and NER also plan to stage a market test that will determine the commercial feasibility of the project. The two sides want to ensure the existence of a sufficient number of buyers for gas quantities planned to be transported through the pipeline.

The Greek section of the gas pipeline, budgeted at 51.4 million euros, is planned to stretch 54 kilometers. The North Macedonian section will cover a 100-km distance.

A September 13 registration deadline has been set for a tender concerning the procurement of steel pipelines for the project. Also, a draft of the tender concerning the project’s construction has been forwarded for public consultation until August 16.