North Macedonia has completed its first comprehensive national hydrogen study, setting out a technical and policy framework for potential hydrogen production, transport, storage and industrial use through 2050. The work also maps the country’s role in a hydrogen corridor linking Greece, Serbia and wider European networks. The analysis is positioned around future infrastructure development rather than existing hydrogen supply.
EU-supported study links hydrogen options to regional infrastructure
The study was prepared with European Union support under IPA II, the Western Balkans Investment Framework and Infrastructure Project Facility 10. It was developed alongside the planned North Macedonia–Serbia gas interconnector. The assessment looks at how new infrastructure could contribute to a future regional hydrogen corridor.
The analysis places North Macedonia between Greece and Serbia within the emerging Pan-European Hydrogen Network and European Hydrogen Backbone. Its geographic position is described as creating a potential transit route between renewable production and import infrastructure in Greece and demand centres farther north. This corridor concept is tied to cross-border connectivity as part of regional network planning.
Interconnector hydrogen readiness and transmission requirements
The gas interconnector under construction with Greece has been designed to transport up to 100% hydrogen, according to the Ministry of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources. Tender requirements for the planned Serbian connection also call for infrastructure compatible with pure hydrogen transmission. The study notes that technical compatibility alone does not establish a functioning hydrogen market.
Pipelines require additional elements before they can operate economically as hydrogen infrastructure, including production projects, contracted demand, storage, compression systems, safety rules and certification standards. The national study therefore addresses the conditions needed for hydrogen use beyond transport infrastructure. It considers how these components could be sequenced over time.
Potential uses across energy, industry, transport and heating
The national framework examines possible applications in energy, industry, transport and district heating. It also covers integration of renewable generation with electrolysis, along with development of transport corridors. The assessment includes potential contribution of hydrogen to greenhouse-gas reduction.
For North Macedonia, industrial demand is identified as decisive for market development. The study states that hydrogen is unlikely to compete efficiently with direct electrification in many heating or transport applications. It highlights stronger potential in sectors where electrification is technically difficult, including certain high-temperature industrial processes, fertiliser production and heavy transport.
Market sequencing, EU standards and conversion needs
The study provides a basis for sequencing markets rather than pursuing infrastructure on its own. Early projects will require an identifiable offtaker, reliable renewable electricity, water availability and a clear route to certification under European rules. This approach links project readiness to regulatory alignment and input availability.
North Macedonia’s accession process is described as adding another dimension for planning hydrogen infrastructure around EU technical and environmental standards. The study also warns that poorly coordinated investment could leave pipelines underused while creating expensive public liabilities. It describes the proposed Greek and Serbian interconnectors as potentially operating primarily with natural gas initially while maintaining hydrogen compatibility for later conversion.
Conversion from natural gas operation would require additional investment in metering, compressors, seals, storage and end-user equipment. The national framework is characterised as an option-building exercise that incorporates hydrogen readiness into infrastructure being developed today while waiting for production costs, European demand and cross-border rules to mature. Bankable projects are described as emerging only when physical infrastructure is matched by long-term offtake contracts and a verifiable low-carbon supply chain.
