Federation to be left without gas due to malfunction in RS, old pipeline a long-term threat

BH-Gas has been informed by Gas Promet Pale that there has been a natural gas leak on the main gas pipeline Šepak-Zvornik-Sarajevo. Specifically, it is a natural gas leak in the wider area of the village of Roćević. BH-Gas was initially informed that the repair of the natural gas leak site would be resolved without a complete suspension of natural gas, but after diagnostics, it was determined that urgent repair and pipe replacement are necessary, which will lead to a complete suspension of natural gas supply, according to written information from Gas Promet Pale. The repair and pipe replacement will be carried out on 05.02.2020, and the complete suspension of natural gas supply, according to information from Gas Promet Pale, will be in the period from the early morning hours of 05.02.2021, with the projection that the suspension will last up to 24 hours from that complete suspension of supply.

In accordance with the above, BH-Gas will immediately ask Sarajevogas and Toplane Sarajevo to switch all boiler rooms and all consumers who can switch to alternative fuel on 05.02.2021, which would create a greater possibility for individual consumers/households to continue having natural gas in their homes.

BH-Gas has created a scenario that involves balancing the system (gas consumption from storage) in which an attempt will be made to ensure that all consumers (excluding Toplane Sarajevo) have the necessary quantities of natural gas for as long as possible during 05.02.2021. However, it is almost certain that during 05.02.2021, all consumers will be without the necessary quantities of natural gas for a period of time, and BH-Gas will try to minimize this time without natural gas. In case the work lasts longer than 24 hours, there is no doubt that consumers will be without natural gas supply for that entire period. At the same time, Gas Promet did not accept BH-Gas's request to carry out the repair during the weekend when gas consumption is lower throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Now we come to the part we must address, and that is the issue of the age of the gas pipeline and its maintenance. It is well known that the gas pipeline is over 40 years old and its functionality is questionable, and it can no longer operate at projected capacities. We have persistently tried, through experts and the media, to point out this problem and that such situations can occur, especially on the section managed and maintained by Gas Promet Pale.

And now that exact scenario has happened.

There has been a gas leak on the main gas pipeline, and now there must be a complete suspension of natural gas, and this shows that the natural gas supply cannot be based on a single supply route. This supply route, as this case shows, does not meet supply security standards, and its technical characteristics no longer meet projected standards. Gas Promet's claims about maintenance on this gas pipeline and its ability to meet demands at any time are proving to be incorrect in this example, and we at BH-Gas are justified in repeating:

Supply security is achieved by building a new supply route, the Southern Interconnection.

The Southern Interconnection, in its final form, will increase the security of Bosnia and Herzegovina's natural gas supply from a coefficient of zero to over 60%, thereby eliminating the possibility of natural gas supply suspension due to pipe repairs over a length of 3 meters in the future.

With this announcement, BH-Gas not only wants to inform the public about the current activities regarding the complete suspension of natural gas supply but must also point out the need to resolve the issue of supply security for all natural gas consumers, because in this described case, consumers in Zvornik, as well as in Sarajevo, Zenica, etc., will be left without natural gas.