Tesla pipeline:Macedonia in hot spot

The foreign ministers of Macedonia, Serbia, Hungary and Greece are expected to sign a memorandum on the construction of the Tesla pipeline, which should connect the Turkish Stream pipeline with Austria.

The document is scheduled to be signed in September, Russian newspaper Vedomosti reports. The pipeline, which is a continuation of the Turkish Stream of Russia’s energy supplier Gazprom, should cross through Greece, Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary, and then reach the gas hub Baumgarten in Vienna.

The length of the Tesla pipeline is planned to take between 1,300 and 1,400 kilometers, with capacity of delivering 27 billion of cubic meters of gas. Its completion is expected in 2019. The pipeline’s construction would cost around EUR 4-5 billion, and Greece could extend its section to Italy.

The Turkish Stream pipeline will have a capacity of 63 billion cubic meters of gas. It starts in Russia, and arrives in Turkey going under the Black Sea. According to the plans, the pipeline should reach the gas hub located at the Turkish-Greek border.Macedonia again is in hot spot due to the geographical position.However Russia pushes a different policy around Balkans and Macedonia.