an hour agoReuters writes about Kosovo, Serbia's energy problem
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)Kosovo's largest coal power plant closed its two entities Wednesday due to a technical problem, halting central heating in Pristina and forcing the country to import electricity at high prices, KEK said. Great snow, cold weather, and poor maintenance destroyed [...]
Heavy snow, cold weather and poor maintenance also destroyed a third of the power generation capacity in neighbouring Serbia, leaving thousands of homes there without electricity or heat, Reuters writes about the energy crisis in the region.
The cuts add to the problems facing energy producers throughout Europe, which is also facing rising gas and electricity prices amid demands for economic recovery from the pandemic.
Kosovo, which depends on coal power plants for 90 per cent of its energy needs, imported electricity by 250 euros for megawatts per hour ( MWh) last days, up from 60 euros for MWh at the same time last year, Economy Minister Artane Rizvanolli said
KEK said it is working to restore production by Thursday to at least one Kosovo B thermal power plant unit, which has a total installed capacity of 680 megawatt (MË). The blame was left a leak at one of the units at the plant.
While heavy weather hit Serbia's energy capacities, Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq said Tuesday that the country now must import about a quarter of its energy needs.
Like Kosovo and other countries in the region, Serbia is highly dependent on coal-powered thermal power plants, which make up 70% of the energy needs. Serbia aims to invest 17 billion euros over the next 20 years in sanitation, solar and other renewable sources to reduce emissions.
Serbian Energy Minister Zorana Mihajlovic said energy unit EPS needed to invest more in the maintenance and expansion of production.
According to data from energy transmission operator Serbia's EMS, the country was importing 1,425 gigvat (GW) electricity by Wednesday's noon.
