Energy supply in Kosovo expected to stabilise in 2023

Economic Development Minister Valdrin Luka suggests to Radio Free Europe that the financial agreement is expected to be signed next week. Construction of the thermal power plant, which will have a 500 megawatt bloc, will cost 1.3 billion euros.

We expect that by the end of 2018, eventually in early 2019, the construction of the New Kosovo thermal power plant, while in early 2023, we expect to have the operational thermal power plant”, Luka says.

The power plant construction project was launched in 2006, when the Ministry of Energy and Mines led Etchem Ceku. The signing of the project is seen as a positive step in terms of sustainable supply, but it says, the capacity of 500 megawatts is insufficient for overall economic development.

“Well, this is not enough development to cover the requirements or needs that Kosovo has. Kosovo's government has had to think of energy crises in the region as we had the last crises in Albania and Macedonia. Therefore, if compared with the concept of natural resource management with the concept of economic development, it seems to me that Kosovo's institutions since 2007 have gone far beyond progress”, Ceku points out.

Under the initial project, construction of the thermal power plant was meant to be done with the production capacity of 2100 megawatts, 1600 megawatts more than in the current deal. This project, for years, or depending on the change of government, has also undergone changes.

Minister Luka considers that production capacities of 500 megawatts are enough, as he says, in the future more will be invested in increased renewable energy capacities.

Kosovo has provided up to 200 megawatts of energy in various forms, whether wind, solar or water. But I predict that even 70 extra megawatts will grow during 2018. In general, we have to meet the criteria for 25 percent of renewable energy. Based on that, we'll have enough energy”, he explains.

However, Minister Luka shows that with the construction of this project, economic growth in Kosovo will reach 5 per cent, while 10,000 citizens will be employed during the construction process.

Whatever matters to us is sustainable employment. And, in sustainable direct employment, 500 workers will be employed”, Luka says.

Reaching the agreement between the Government of Kosovo and the winning company has also welcomed the American Embassy in Pristina. In a communiqué for the media, economic losses reportedly amounted to 300m euros a year, due to the uncertain supply of electricity.

The United States government, said further in the communiqué, has been working with Kosovo since 2003 to secure its energy future, and has supported different repetitions of this project since 2006.