25 September 2025

Dead End Ahead: How gas plans are distracting the Western Balkans from the energy transition

The briefing “Dead end ahead: How gas plans are distracting the Western Balkans from the energy transition”, by CEE Bankwatch and Beyond Fossil Fuels examines the gas build-out plans of Western Balkan governments. It finds that they remain as high as two years ago despite increasing risks of failure or stranded assets.

With the six countries of the region collectively using the equivalent of just one percent of the EU’s total gas consumption, they have a rare opportunity to skip fossil gas altogether and leapfrog straight to building a renewable energy system.

But despite this advantage, almost every government in the region, except for Kosovo, is planning a massive gas expansion. In 2023, together with Global Energy Monitor, CEE Bankwatch identified plans for EUR 3.5 billion worth of proposed gas infrastructure in the region. Of the 2,715 kilometres (km) of pipelines planned in 2023, 2,551 are still on the table. Plans for gas power plants have increased from 2.4 gigawatts (GW) to 2.9 GW.

If completed, this infrastructure would increase the region’s import capacity to triple its 2023 gas consumption, creating decades of dependence or leaving countries stuck with stranded assets.

Western Balkan countries should avoid investments in gas and make credible plans to leapfrog straight to sustainable forms of renewable energy, together with ramped up energy savings measures. The European Commission and other international partners also need to do their part by sending a clear message to avoid gas lock-in and prioritising investments in renewables and clean flexibility.

Click to download the report