Serbia’s expansion of the Banatski Dvor underground gas storage facility is experiencing further slippage, with commissioning now expected later than the previously targeted end of 2026. The project is designed to increase total capacity by about 300 million cubic metres from the current level of roughly 450 million cubic metres. Construction started in April 2025 after years of delays.
Capacity additions and commissioning timeline
The planned expansion would raise Banatski Dvor by approximately 300 million cubic metres, but the start of operations has been pushed beyond the end-of-2026 target. The facility currently holds about 450 million cubic metres. Work began in April 2025 following prolonged postponements.
Gas demand, supply sources and potential new load
Serbia consumes around 3 billion cubic metres of gas annually. About 2.2 billion cubic metres comes from Russia, while around 800 million cubic metres is supplied from Azerbaijan. Future demand could also be linked to a proposed gas-fired power plant near Niš.
Hungary storage rental and ownership structure
To cover storage needs, Serbia rents about 500 million cubic metres of capacity in Hungary under an agreement between Srbijagas and MVM. Banatski Dvor is jointly held, with Gazprom owning 51% and the Serbian side holding 49%. Srbijagas currently effectively controls slightly more than 220 million cubic metres of capacity, which could rise to around 370 million cubic metres after the expansion.
Project cost and implications for storage constraints
The Banatski Dvor expansion is estimated at about €145 million. The continuing delay keeps gas storage among the main physical constraints affecting Serbia’s wider diversification strategy.
