The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) has received 42 million liters of oil and gasoline by rail from the Ploče terminal, marking the first major replenishment of national oil reserves in more than thirty years. The shipment followed the completion of all required permits and a series of infrastructure upgrades at the Blažuj oil terminal, including the repair of the railway crossing and the industrial track serving the facility. Authorities also selected a supplier through a public procurement process to conduct the operational testing phase.
Federal Minister of Energy Vedran Lakić emphasized that strengthening energy independence must become a national priority. He noted that Bosnia and Herzegovina can achieve this only when energy policy is guided by public interest rather than political disputes, stressing that decisions must reflect long-term security needs instead of partisan agendas.
By linking the port terminal in Ploče with the Blažuj facility, the Federation has improved the safety of its fuel transport routes and expanded its capacity to build mandatory oil reserves required under EU directives. Damir Krešo, the head of the entity’s terminal operator, stated that the first major deliveries of oil products lay the groundwork for economic stability and ensure a reliable market supply. Establishing substantial reserves in Blažuj, he added, is the first step toward creating the broader system of mandatory reserves envisioned by European regulations.
Energy experts view the development as significant but caution that major challenges remain. Chief among them is progress on the Southern Gas Interconnection, a critical project expected to reduce Bosnia and Herzegovina’s dependence on Russian natural gas.
With a storage capacity of 42 million liters, the Blažuj terminal now serves as the central hub of the Federation’s oil infrastructure, alongside additional facilities in Živinice, Bihać and Mostar. By enabling domestic storage and distribution of essential reserves—rather than relying on costly storage services abroad—the project strengthens Bosnia and Herzegovina’s position within the regional energy landscape.
