The gasification project at the Skopje region will cover 17 municipalities. The investment worth about € 100 million will be implemented for five years following the principle of public- private partnership, and part of the distribution network will be put in operation in 2016.
Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski announced that construction of the distribution system will begin in 2015 and at least 70 percent of the planned infrastructure should be done in five years, until 2019.
- Today begins the actual operationalization of gasification project in Macedonia. We have worked intensely and devotedly in the past few years on the completion of all steps, actions and procedures to get to this point. It was not an easy and simple job, although some structures are trying to show that, Gruevski said.
The project, he added, will be performed by all standards, not partially, but integrally, without improvising, but with solid plans and programs.
- It took a lot of preparation, development of mega projects, sorting property law and land relations, making of many analyzes and, of course, most important, a contract for the supply of gas to Macedonia had to be provided. We have worked responsibly, patiently and intensively for more than four years and we made an agreement with Russia for the supply of gas and realized a key prerequisite for the gasification start, the Prime Minister said.
The public call for finding a private partner will be announced in the next few days and will run until 25 May. The agreement will be valid for a period of 20 years, after that the natural gas system will become state property.
Except the municipalities in Skopje, seven municipalities near them will be also covered, Sopiste, Zelenikovo, Studenichani, Petrovec, Ilinden, Cucer Sandevo and Arachinovo.
According to the analysis, the savings of citizens who use central heating, wood, electricity and extra light fuel will be drastically increased. If a housing facility connects to natural gas, it will save 24 percent per year, or 30 percent if it is a commercial facility.
