Novalić, leave projects that only aim for RUSSIAN GAS!

(Patria) - Almir Bečarević, advisor to the former director of BH-Gas and former director of this company, addressed the Prime Minister of the Federation, Fadil Novalić, regarding his statement during a visit to Brčko when Novalić said: "That would be a new connection that will be nominated for interstate talks and negotiations, and the design of this road will also include the design of a gas communication line that would go from Županja further towards Brčko and further towards the center of the Federation, together with the highway.”

„Since I was a direct participant in the discussions on this topic with your advisor Gordan Čahtarević and you personally, I must again remind you that your advisor has a problem with geography, kilometers, gas interconnections, interconnection development plans, and it seems to me now also with sound judgment.

Croatia has a gas pipeline towards Županja that is in such a state and of such performance that it ranks as an insignificant gas pipeline for any serious interconnection. 

What Croatia has been planning for over 20 years is the Slobodnica - Solin gas pipeline, which is a prerequisite for any gas pipeline to Županja, Tuzla, and Kladanj. 

I will quote you a part from the development strategy of Plinacro's transport systems. "The Slobodnica – Sotin gas pipeline (DN800, 102 km) would enable interconnection with Serbia and direct export of gas from the LNG terminal to Serbia, i.e., direct import of gas from the TurkStream branch after its construction.”

To clarify, the distance from the terminal on Krk to Županja is 438 km, and the length of the gas pipeline from Krk to Posušje (Southern Interconnection) is 355 km. The distance between Županja and Kladanj is 121 km, and from Posušje to Novi Travnik is 124 km. For Županja to get an interconnection, it is necessary to build a new gas pipeline through the northern part of Croatia, 102 km long, and to get gas from the direction of Split to BiH, it is necessary to build 89 km.

As you can see, every option from the south of Croatia is more favorable in kilometers than the one from the north, with the additional important fact that the project documentation from the south of Croatia has reached the building permit stage, while the one from the north of Croatia is just an idea that was abandoned back in 2008. 

Now we come to a more important issue than the senseless waste of money on a gas pipeline that costs more and has a longer transport route, and that is that the construction of the Slobodnica - Sotin connection creates the possibility of importing gas from TurkStream. 

So, you want us to be on the Turkish Stream again, where Energoinvest, with your consent, has already transferred us, and then we have the possibility that instead of receiving gas at Zvornik from the direction of Serbia, we now get supply from the direction of Serbia to Croatia and then to Županja. 

So, we get one more country for transport and the same gas at Kladanj, ONLY RUSSIAN GAS FROM THE DIRECTION OF ZVORNIK AND FROM THE DIRECTION OF ŽUPANJA. NO SECURITY OF SUPPLY AND AGAIN ONLY RUSSIAN GAS. I understand that your advisor has a “brilliant” idea that should be the subject of investigation by the authorities because that “brilliance” which costs even more than the Southern Interconnection is a fixed idea not based on any reasonable reason. 

I also understand that the advisor has an affinity for Russian gas, but let's first create real security of supply and diversification of gas sources, and then over food and drink we can chat about the gas pipeline from the direction of Županja. 

To explain to you that with the EBRD, representatives of the US Embassy, USAID, etc., you only talked about the Southern Interconnection and gave guarantees that this project, which has strong support from the US administration, will be implemented, and now the talk turns again to the Turkish Stream and Russian gas is something that should worry not only that administration but also the public. 

As proof of what I am saying, I am submitting a part of a letter from Plinacro from which everything is visible, and nothing has changed since then. I will not waste words on the gas pipeline and the city of Tuzla because two resolutions of the Tuzla Municipal Council are enough, which do not want gas even in lighters. 

Finally, I have no need to prevent you from realizing an idea that was rejected back in 2008, but for the benefit of the gas industry, stop your advisor in gas projects because his references are zero in this field. Russian gas is okay, but how okay, you have the example of the already increased gas price, and after the New Year, this will be a drama. You will have bigger problems than gas from the north of Croatia, to which your advisor was also a godfather. Rambling about energy projects is “super,” but at least look at the Energy Community report where BiH has realized only 8% of the planned energy projects. You are at the head of the Government of the FBiH and I hope you will feel at least part of the responsibility for this data, to which those who propagate ideas without any knowledge of what they are talking about, pardon me, ramble about, were also godfathers“, stated Almir Bečarević.