"About 600 million cubic meters of gas per year will be required for the operation of this power plant, which will make it possible to maximize the capacity of the Serbia-Bulgaria gas interconnector. We have agreed to hold additional meetings of technical teams in Belgrade and Baku to resolve all remaining issues as soon as possible," Dedovic was quoted as saying by the ministry's press service.
During a visit to Baku, Dedovic discussed the implementation of the project to build a gas power plant near the city of Nis, as well as natural gas supply issues, with representatives of the Azerbaijani government and SOCAR, the press service said.
"Dedovic Handanovic said that the parties intend to agree on the key parameters and commercial conditions of the project, including the design and construction timelines. The completion of the power plant's construction is scheduled for 2030. With the commissioning of the facility, gas consumption in the country is expected to increase significantly," it said.
The new gas power plant will be more efficient and will reduce production costs compared to existing capacities, ensuring stable electricity generation with a lower environmental impact, Dedovic said.
The GTPP project in Nis is an investment in the development of southern Serbia, in industry, in new jobs and in a safer future where energy follows growth, from artificial intelligence to new data centers, Dedovic said in a social media post.
As reported by Azerbaijani Energy Ministry, opportunities for cooperation within the Caspian - Black Sea - Europe green energy corridor project (Black Sea Energy) were also discussed during a meeting between Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov and Dedovic. According to the ministry, over the past two years, 444.6 mcm of gas have been exported from Azerbaijan to Serbia.
"During the conversation, the Serbian side was also invited to participate in events to be held as part of Baku Energy Week in an expanded format," the ministry said.
Baku and Belgrade signed an intergovernmental agreement on February 15, 2026, to build a 500 MW gas turbine power plant in Serbia. It is planned that the project will be implemented on a parity basis. The Serbian companies Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) and Srbijagas will participate in the project together with SOCAR. The Serbian authorities expect the plant to be commissioned near Nis in 2029.
Currently, the parties are actively developing cooperation in the field of gas supplies. To this end, SOCAR and Srbijagas signed an agreement on November 15, 2023, for the supply of Azerbaijani gas of up to 400 mcm in 2024-2026, with the possibility of increasing it from 2027.
