Tirana/Skopje, 13 June 2026, dtt-net.com – Albania and North Macedonia public companies in charge of gasification of the two countries have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in September 2017 for a gas and hydrogen-ready interconnector, but while North Macedonia still is showing interest to implement the plan, Albanian authorities are showing less interest on it, for yet unknown reasons to the public.
North Macedonia public company NomaGas AD has confirmed to the dtt-net.com earlier this month its interest for the interconnector, providing also technical details of interconnector plan in country’s territory up to the border with Albania.
If build, the interconnector would supply American LNG to Albania from Greek Terminal of Alexandroupolus.
But Albanian Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy keeps avoiding answering a direct question, whether the ministry and the government are still interested on the interconnector and sign a bilateral agreement for implementation of the same.
“The additional questions you are asking us, belong to another level of discussion, as they concern long-term strategies, for which we cannot give you a precise answer at this time. Our institutions are in constant contact with their counterparts in North Macedonia and will carefully consider any joint plan or project that is of mutual interest to our countries,” an official of the ministry, who asked anonymity, told dtt-net.com, after multiple e-mail exchanges over the matter, and after it initially denied a public statement of North Macedonia Minister of Energy Sanja Božinovska of last month over plans for interconnector between the two countries.
North Macedonia’s NomaGas explained that the feasibility study was done in 2010 over the 27-km-long project in the territory of North Macedonia, which would link Ohrid-Struga-Qafë Thanë (the border with Albania) with the pipeline capacity of 248.000 m³/h of gas and would be ready for hydrogen use as well.
According to the company, the cost of the project in North Macedonia territory ups to 18 million Euros.
NomaGas said that at the moment there is no concrete implementation plan for the project, as both sides (North Macedonia and Albania) need “to renew contacts and form a working group to further advance the project.”
The response of North Macedonia’s company of June 1 came hours after the Albanian Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy told dtt-net.com through email that there is no plan between the two countries for a gas-interconnector, when asked about Bozinovska’s statement over the gas interconnector plans from Bitola (North Macedonia) to Elbasan (Albania).
While North Macedonia is making progress in construction of gas interconnector with Greece for USA LNG supplies, Albania too planning to have its own LNG Terminal for supplies from the USA.
Last month, Albanian government and two energy companies from Greece and USA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for LNG supply for 20 years valued at 6 billion Euros total.
The deal was signed between Albanian ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, the Greece-based energy constructor Aktor Energy USA INC and the American LNG supplier Venture Global.
According to the plans, the American LNG will be used at the coastal town of Vlora for a gas-fired power plant, yet to be adapted from the old one.
It’s the second MoU of Albanian government over LNG Terminal, after the first one it signed in 2021 with Excelerate Energy and ExxonMobil LNG.
It remains still unknown whether Albanian government indecision over interconnector with North Macedonia is linked to Albania plans to have its own terminal and direct LNG supply from the USA,instead of from Greek terminal and through North Macedonia.
