Skopje Mayor Petre Silegov said that the gas pipeline ring around the capital Skopje is complete, and that in late 2020 we can expect some of the retail network to be in place too, so that households would be able to begin switch to gas heating.

Macedonia is building a supply system between its major cities, in an attempt to reduce air pollution and spur the economy. Currently, most households use wood or electricity for heating, with only the capital Skopje given the option to use a central heating system with hot water warmed up with gas. Individual households rarely use gas, and when they do, it’s supplied through a costly truck system. The prevalent use of wood for heating contributes to the high air pollution rates in wintertime.

Initially, the gas supply is being made available to industrial facilities located close to the inter-city pipelines, while the cities are urged to prepare for the construction of the so-called tertiary or retail network.

Macedonia is supplied with Russian gas, through Bulgaria. Plans to build the South Stream pipeline, which would have crossed through Macedonia and was expected to make the gas far cheaper and the supply more reliable, have been hit by geopolitical pressures.