Croatia will invest 180 million euros ($182.32 million) to build a new gas pipeline and significantly increase the capacity of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in a bid to secure its gas supplies, announced the Executive from Zagreb, reports Reuters.

European countries, heavily dependent on Russian gas, are trying to diversify their sources of supply, following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

A new gas pipeline, whose cost is estimated at 155 million euro, will connect the cities of Zlobin and Bosiljevo, in the northwest of the country. LNG capacity on the island of KrK in the Adriatic Sea will increase to 6.1 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas annually, from 2.6 billion bcm, according to Agerpres.

The government has made a strategic decision regarding the provision of gas supplies, positioning itself as an energy leader in the region, said the Minister of Energy, Davor Filipovic, according to the Croatian news agency Hina.

The executive will use European funds and money from the budget to finance the projects, added Filipovic.

The floating LNG terminal in Krk, which became operational in January 2021, diversifies the supply for Croatia, but also for other states in central Europe, including Hungary.