Gas goes south - adviser for elaboration of feasibility study for gas power plant in Niš to be selected soon

- Construction of the main gas pipeline from Niš to Leskovac and Vranje will start in spring 2010 - Dušan Mrakić, the State Secretary within the Ministry of Energy, announced after the gas system connection protocol was signed between the representatives of Niš and company "Jugorosgas".

Mrakić explained that the construction of the gas pipeline from Niš to Bulgarian border would be put on hold because the route of gas pipeline "Južni tok" had not been defined yet.

- In about ten days we will select the consulting company that should do the feasibility study for gas power plant, which should be built in Niš - said Mrakić.

- The plan of the Ministry of Energy is that this gas power plant be built prior to the beginning of the construction of gas pipeline "Južni tok", and Niš will become a large gas node in this part of Serbia.

The State Secretary explained that the state had given 2.1m EUR for creation of gas ring around Niš few years ago, and that the connection of the whole city to the gas system should be finished in few years.

He announced that the Law on gas system connection would be soon adopted for the south of Serbia.

- Russia is one of the most reliable suppliers of natural gas, and we are ready to fulfill all our obligations from the international contracts towards Europe, as well as Serbia - said Aleksandar Konuzin, the Ambassador of Russia to Serbia.

According to the words of Vladimir Koldin, the Director General of "Jugorosgas", signing of the protocol put a technical end to the distributive gas pipeline network that was started long ago, but the intention is that the gas system connection works become even more intensive in the future.