The construction of the Southern Gas Interconnection is expected to become the most important infrastructure investment in Bosnia and Herzegovina this year, according to energy expert Edhem Bičakčić, marking a historic turning point for the country’s gas sector and overall energy security.
By linking Bosnia and Herzegovina to the European gas market through Croatia and the Krk LNG terminal, the new pipeline will provide access to alternative supply routes, significantly strengthening security of supply and improving system flexibility through diversification of sources and delivery paths.
Bičakčić noted that key political obstacles have largely been removed and that many of the main technical parameters are already defined. The inflow of additional gas from Croatia would create conditions for connecting major industrial consumers, enabling the use of gas for electricity and heat production, while positioning Bosnia and Herzegovina as a regional transit country toward Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, and Bulgaria.
The project also revives the long-planned development of a gas storage facility in the abandoned Tetima mine near Tuzla, which has already received approval from the Federal Government and would significantly enhance system resilience and reliability.
On the Croatian side, the project includes construction of a new high-pressure pipeline from Dugopolje to Zagvozd over 52 kilometers, and from Zagvozd to Imotski and the Bosnian border over another 22 kilometers, a total of 74 kilometers managed by operator Plinacro with an estimated investment of €170 million.
Within Bosnia and Herzegovina, the pipeline will stretch about 180 kilometers from the entry point near Posušje, branching toward Mostar and Travnik, requiring around €250 million in funding, while delivering a planned annual transport capacity of 1.5 billion cubic meters.
This is a dramatic increase compared with the country’s current annual gas consumption of roughly 230 million cubic meters and the existing system capacity of about 600 million cubic meters, representing a major leap in the scale of national gas infrastructure.
Beyond boosting volumes, the Southern Gas Interconnection will enable gasification of southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, support new industrial demand, and be designed to accommodate not only natural gas but also hydrogen and biogas, in line with long-term decarbonization goals.
Bičakčić added that development of the southern route is likely to accelerate work on a northern gas corridor via Bosanski Brod or Brčko, reinforcing Bosnia and Herzegovina’s position as a regional transit hub and opening the possibility of connecting Banja Luka to a modernized national gas system.