Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic Photo: Ministry of Mining and Energy/Nenad Kostić
Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said on Feb. 11 that the World Bank is interested in an expanded support program for Serbia’s natural gas sector, within which the bank would finance in stages the construction of gas interconnectors, the strengthening of the country’s existing gas infrastructure and the development of new storage capacities.
“We consider [natural] gas a long-term interim fuel en route to decarbonization because it is a base fuel and it is necessary for us to build infrastructure to fulfill the goals we’ve set in strategic documents,” the minister said following her talk with the World Bank delegation.
Led by Stephanie Gil, a World Bank practice manager in the Europe and Central Asia Region, the delegation discussed the bank’s support programs for Serbia’s energy sector, with a special focus on natural gas and energy efficiency.
Djedovic Handanovic stated that Serbia is currently interested in building a gas interconnector with North Macedonia, which would create an alternative route for gas deliveries.
The minister also stressed that Serbia intends to continue its Scaling Up Residential Clean Energy (SURCE) project, implemented with the World Bank since 2022, whereby subsidies are provided for improving household energy efficiency.
According to her, in addition to the continuation of the SURCE program, the World Bank is also interested in financing renovations aimed at improving the energy efficiency of public buildings – such as schools, daycare centers and hospitals – which would not only lead to energy savings of up to 50 percent but would also create new jobs.
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