Croatian-Hungarian Gas Pipeline Capacity to Double

Croatia’s Plinacro and Hungary’s Földgázszállító [Natural Gas Distributor] Plc. (FGSZ) have agreed to increase the capacity of the Croatian-Hungarian natural gas interconnector, the Croatian natural gas transmission system operator has announced.

According to a joint statement by the two companies, the capacity of the Drávaszerdahely - Donji Miholjac border crossing point from Croatia to Hungary would be increased from 200,000 to 400,000 standard cubic meters per hour.

The increased capacity is scheduled to become available on December 31, 2026.

The development would enable the transport of larger volumes of natural gas from Croatia to Hungary than is currently possible. According to Plinacro, this would strengthen the energy interconnection between the two countries and improve security of supply for Hungary and the region. The two system operators are jointly preparing the necessary technical, regulatory, and operational conditions. Market participants will be informed later about the details of accessing the new capacity.

Ivica Arar, Chairman of the Board of Plinacro, said that the investment will increase the volume of natural gas available from Croatia and strengthen the stability of the region’s gas supply.

According to Szabolcs I. Ferencz, Chairman and CEO of FGSZ, the capacity expansion will contribute to the diversification of supply sources for Hungary and the wider region. He added that the development will strengthen the route for transporting liquefied natural gas from Croatia to landlocked countries.

The agreement concerns natural gas transmission and is not directly related to the dispute between the two countries over the capacity and usage fees of the Adriatic crude oil pipeline.