EBRD approves EUR 98.6 loan for disputed fossil gas mega pipeline in North Macedonia

The Greece – North Macedonia gas interconnector project is also subject to formal complaints to the EBRD’s accountability mechanism and the Energy Community Secretariat in Vienna, as the legal requirement to hold national-level public consultations before giving environmental consent was breached. (2)

Moreover, neither the North Macedonia authorities nor the EBRD have assessed the pipeline’s most significant impact – the greenhouse gas emissions from burning the transported gas – nor have they disclosed why so much gas is needed or what it will be used for.

Ana Colovic Lesoska, Eko-svest – ‘The EBRD claims this pipeline will help North Macedonia move away from coal, but it’s too late to replace one fossil fuel with another. New gas is not needed for the power sector, as the country’s energy strategy shows. Well-sited solar and wind, geothermal and heat pumps must be prioritised now, not in 20 years.’

Pippa Gallop, CEE Bankwatch Network – ‘With climate chaos spiralling out of control, it’s obscene that the EBRD is still propping up fossil fuels with public money. This pipeline will either lead to a major increase in gas consumption or become a costly stranded asset. Today’s decision is infuriating, but it’s not the end of the story. We’ll keep working to stop the project and cut to a clean energy future.’

Contacts

Pippa Gallop, 

Southeast Europe Energy Policy Officer, CEE Bankwatch Network

pippa.gallop@bankwatch.org

+385 99 755 9787

Ana Colovic Lesoska, 

Executive Director Center for environmental research and information Eko-svest

ana@ekosvest.com.mk

+38972726104

Notes for editors

1. EBRD project summary document: https://ebrd.com/work-with-us/projects/psd/51747.html
   More information on the project is available here.
2. For more information on the complaints, see here and here.