Kosovo still at odds over key to TAP gas pipeline

Kosovo, according to them, needs to increase the diversity of electricity sources and investment in gas infrastructure should start as soon as possible.

The natural gas sector development project is continuing to be discussed between the Government of Kosovo and the US Government Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).

The most studied option for this project is the construction of gas infrastructure, which would give Kosovo access via Northern Macedonia to the natural gas market in Azerbaijan.

The MCC has issued a grant of up to $200 million that could be used to build this infrastructure.

Dardan Abazi, senior researcher at the Institute for Development Policy (INDEP), tells Radio Free Europe that the Government of Kosovo should not lose the possibility of this project and that the same will do part of the strategy with the main defuelling target, or turning away from coal dependence.

Two things are important. The first for the dedication made with the Sofia summit declaration to translate into energy strategy, as well as the national energy and climate plan. This commitment is for decalation by 2050. The second element to be done is to coordinate our actions with our partners, the United States”, Abazi says.

Kosovo, Abazi adds, now only needs a more detailed project as it is: in which year the gas will be introduced and coal will be removed as a result.

Government gas line dilemmas

Besides confirming that the Government of Kosovo has done it for the project to develop the natural gas sector, a spokesperson for the American Embassy in Pristina has been declared for Voice of America.

He has said the proceedings are continuing if the Government of Kosovo supports this proposal.

But despite the ongoing discussions, the government has presented dilemmas about the project.

“The capital cost of investment is one of those dilemmas”, Economy Minister Artane Rizvanolli said last week.

Depending on what model and option Rizvanol has said, the estimates are that it can cost up to 600 million or more.

A preliminary financial investment analysis, in particular clarifying what the total cost would be, what implications the production of electricity from gas to tariffs that citizens and businesses would be paying, are details the government is looking for, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has said.

Alliance for the Future of Kosovo Chairman Ramush Haradinaj has accused the Kurti Government of losing the deadline for starting the gas infrastructure construction project.

“A is this way to fail this project in the service of any alternative project Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, who warned the Peace Highway and the Russian gas pipeline for Kosovo?”, has asked Haradinaj during a parliamentary session.

Multidoubled energy sources are also derived from pledges Kosovo has made with the signing of the Washington Agreement in 2020.

The executive director of the American Economic Ode in Kosovo, Arian Zeka, says the issue of penetrated liquid natural gas in the Western Balkan states is one of US strategic interests, but beyond that, Kosovo itself needs diversification of energy resources.

Kosovo with this project would harmonise its interests with the interests of strategic partners, in this case with US”, Zeka says.

Zeka says that it cannot be talked about sustainable economic development, nor about empowering Kosovo's industrial capacities, as long as the nearly sole source of electricity supply is generated by fossil resources, which also cause large environmental pollution.

Kosovo's key to regional natural gas supply projects is also envisioned in the Kosovo Republic's 2017-2026 Energy Strategy.

The strategy says that the Trans Adriatic tube project (TAP) has created Kosovo great opportunities to access the international natural gas network.

“on this level, depending on developments in regional gas projects in Southeast Europe, the Kosovo Government remains committed to exploiting all possibilities to be involved in joint energy community projects for natural gas”, the strategy said.

Kosovo provides electricity from coal

The largest amount of electricity, Kosovo produces from burning coal to Obilic thermal power plants. About 95 percent of Kosovo's electricity is produced from coal, 2.7 percent from hydropower plants, and 2.3 percent from the wind and solar panels.

The method of coal - producing electricity is considered harmful to the environment and causes high air pollution.

In recent years, Kosovo has had ongoing problems with environmental pollution, from thermal power plants A” and “Kosovo B” and also from burning coal from businesses and private homes.

In 2020, the Contour Global company had withdrawn from plans to build the thermocentral plant “New Kosovo”, because the company has no intention of building coal projects in the future.

Kosovo continues to face long-term power cuts. /rel/