Energy supply problems not ending

Kosovo over the years is facing unstable energy supplies. Consistent power outages, through official reports, cautions the power supply distribution (KEDS).

It tells of time and regions when electricity will be cut off. As the main reason for the lack of this product in Kosovo is constantly highlighted the age of thermal power plants in Kosovo, which date back to the 1960s.

Until, since 2013, power distribution is carried out by the Turkish-American consortium Celik Limak” who bought this distribution.

Arben Djukaj, director of the Kosovo Energy Corporation, tells Radio Free Europe that thermal power plants are outdated and that their capacity is insufficient to cover hundreds of electricity requirements. “Trmocentrals Kosova A and Kosova B, where in total they have a availability capacity for production near 900 megavats and annual consumer needs, Energy Corporation covers 89 percent”, Djukaj says.

For a stable power supply, KEK director Arben Djukaj says construction of new capacities, such as the new thermal power plant, should be made. The final resolution of the KEK operational plan is building new generation capacities, as well as revatilising Kosovo B, which would solve the problem in the long-term”, Djukaj says.

Uncertainty with electricity supplies continues to be one of the key restrictions also on developing the economy in Kosovo.

In research done by representatives of businesses in Kosovo, it was stressed that Kosovo should invest in the energy system, as businesses are facing energy problems.

Visar Azemi, from the Kosovar Society for Energy consortium for Radio Free Europe, says that poor management has been made in Kosovo's energy sector and that the designed policies have been wrongly made.

“The power supply problem has started since the end of the war until a few years ago when Kosovo has decided to privatise the distribution and distribution network in order to have an upgrade with electricity, but still this has not happened and we have had numerous cases where problems have been added to certain parts, and this is due to poor management of the power distributor in Kosovo”, Azemi says.

Over the past 10 years, he adds, Kosovo authorities have done nothing concrete to improve the state of electricity. “We like KOSID have called on the government that is wasting time and financial means, where over 1 billion euros have been invested in the energy sector for many problems, and the situation is still miserable and no step has been taken to see the possibility of getting rid of coal power generation. We have demanded that this 98 per cent be reduced by adding new production capacities from renewable sources”, Azemi says.

Preparations for building a new thermal power plant called new Kosovo have started more than a decade, but have not yet begun. /Rel/