Serbia, Kosovo again slow clocks in Europe

In Serbia's Energy Network communiqué, which has been forwarded to Radio Free Europe, it is said that the reason for the delay of digital hours is “the unauthorised power collection by the COST (system, Transmission and Kosovo Electricity Market)”.

“COMM The STT has not maintained the balance between production and spending of electricity on Kosovo's territory, but the missing share of consumer supply has received without compensation from the interconcortion of the Kevropa Continental -- that is, from all other transmission operators, who make up the synchronized area, which we are talking about”, Serbia's Energy Network has said.

Serbia and Kosovo are part of the energy system “Europa Continental” and, under the agreement, Kosovo is expected to balance electricity and demand on its network. Meanwhile, Serbia is required to help Kosovo establish that balance.

Kosovo's Transmission and Electricity Market System operator (KOSTT) earlier told Free Europe Radio that the delay is the result of Serbia's Energy Network failure to implement the agreement on KOST's key to the European Power Transmission System Operators Network.

This institution stressed that failure to comply with the agreement causes financial damage to COST, because Serbian “operator continues to gain millions of Kosovo's border ties capacities with neighbouring countries“.

Dusan Janjaq from the Forum for Ethnic Relations in Belgrade tells Radio Free Europe that there are now and decades practices that electricity from Kosovo, via Serbia, is released only in the evening because it has no capacity.

But, in fact, then the price of electricity falls on the world market and then our agents buy it in transfers and they sell it in the morning. Yes, such a thing, then upsets the balance of needed energy in Europe, depending on the size of the transaction. It's about misuse of state property, because this is the transmission system, and it's about misusing the fact that Kosovo has no other option, because it's not yet finished being sent away to Albania, to enter Europe, except through Serbia. Then, in that network that is already outdated, it creates the gap in pre-”, Janjic said.

As both countries deny responsibility, this is now the second time that they have been caused with hours of power - powered problems, such as microwave ovens or radios. Early in March of this year, hours were delayed by about 5 minutes in 25 European states.

The European network, at the time, had stated that the deviations come in particular from the area of Serbia and Kosovo, from which, due to political clashes between the two states, amounted to less electricity in the continent's energy system.

Milovan Shuvakov, senior associate at the Institute for Fisica in Belgrade, speaking of Radio Free Europe, explains that because of this “Vuture” in the supply of the European Energy Market, frequencies on the energy network are below normal of 50 herc. That, according to him, is the cause of digital clock delays, even up to six minutes.

“Plus and minus change 50 times over a second. In practice, those 50 hertz are not exactly that much and depending on the network, they 50 hertz, they can pretty much be tolerated. What we're talking about here is that tolerance is pretty small that some of the clock producers have used the very frequency to calibrate the clock optics. If a serious change of frequency on the network is caused, then clock oscillators work slower or faster”, Shuvakov explained.

European operators have activated a special programme for compensation, which automatically activates, the moment deviations exceed 60 seconds.

Considering that such a thing is not a long-term solution, from the European Network of Electric Energy Transmission Operators have warned Serbia of the possibility of sanctions if it does not solve the problem with Kosovo.

But, Serbia's Energy Network through communiqué has said that “K O The STT is obliged to carry out its sub-zone overhaul independently, or to balance consumption and products. Meanwhile, Serbia's Energy Network is responsible for its control zone, which included the COST sub-zone”.

In the communiqué, it is also said that in the function of resolving the problem, a string of proposed “and that there are “in permanent contact with the European Network Association (ENTSO) and all relevant institutions”.

When it comes to statements on eventual sanctions, we point out that under valid contracts and agreements, decisions on launching any measures or procedures under the ENTSO, are under the competencies of European countries' transmission systems systems and can only be realised after the actual situation and the direct responsibility” is confirmed, said in the municipality of Serbia's Energy Network.

Although the European Association of electricity distributors does not point to what sanctions may follow, on its website it is said that by the implementation of sanctions could come if there is “the clear lack of will for the problem to be resolved”.

The Kosovo and Serbia Energy Agreement was reached in 2013 at the prime ministers' level, but until now it has not been implemented.