Albania returns electricity debt to Kosovo

The many long-term clouds in the region (in our country, in neighboring countries, and especially in Albania) were extremely beneficial and significantly improved the energy balances of countries that have the most electric hydrocapacites. These rainfall has largely affected the improved energy situation in Albania, where, in a few days, water accumulates in the Drini Casada practically filled up, making it possible for Albania's hydropower plants to generate the maximum power.

Thanks to abundant water, the Albanian electromagnetic system, since it was filled with basic water in the Drini cascad, also started exporting a good amount of electricity, returning electricity debt and began to improve its financial situation, burdened by imports in large quantities of electricity for its needs during times when there was no adequate water. By stabilising the electromagnetic situation in Albania these days, Kosovo has also benefited greatly. With much energy and beyond its consumption needs, the Albanian Energy Corporation (KESH), these days it is returning debt to the Kosovo Energy Corporation ( KEK), and thus Kosovo is saying that sufficient energy for its significantly increased consumption, and there is little need for import.

Victor Buzhala, spokesman at KEDS, has today told the Economic Bulletin that during these days, especially in days when there was considerable cold temperatures, at the time of peak hours, Kosovo's consumption has gone up to 1,100 megawatts. During the day's hours, however, the consisting now ranges from 900 to 950 megavat per hour. This amount of consumption is beyond the amount of electricity produced in our capacities (2 blocks of Kosovo A and 2 Kosovo B thermal power plants and renewable resources).

As it is known, from Kosovo thermal power plants in production of B1 and B2 of Kosovo B (which have a combined capacity of over 600 megawatts in the generator, while their power on the grid is 520 megawatts, or each block, so there are 500 megavat-hour networks and A4 blocks of Kosovo A (with a total of 260 megavats), produced about 800 megats per electric hour.

This amount of electricity produced by TCs, these very hot and windy days, should be added to at least 50-60 megawatts from renewable power capacities ( Kosovo's small hydrocents and wind-based energy parks at Shala Bajgora and Kitke in Anamorawa). And this amount, as Buzhala reports from KEDS, would not be enough to meet Kosovo's increased consumption needs.

However, KEK has several days, especially since electricity spending has been established in our Republic as a result of colder days, which is offering KEDS its entire self-production (c. 800 to 850 megavat-hours) and a substantial amount of megawatts being provided by Albania, in return from the ECA's previous deposits to the ECS.

KEK, as several times reported, the Economic Bulletin, during summer days and especially during the hours of the night, when Kosovo's needs were less than consumption, lent them, or deposited in KESH about 150 thousand megavats. As Skender Bucolli announced about the Economic Bulletin from KESH today, some 1,500 megawatts have come during the day, while yesterday (April) Kosovo has been supplied during the day with 1,700 megavat-h of electricity from Albania. And the entire quantity, even local capacity production and returned energy from Albania are being offered to KEDS. And that amount is roughly enough to meet Kosovars' needs per current, even though they have significantly increased these days.

Victor Buzhala, said today about the Economic Bulletin that thanks to the good supply from KEK, practically tell him the import has been evacuated. According to him, only a negligible amount yesterday and today has been imported, or a total of 4-5 megavat per hour, in the hours when more consumption has increased.

The return of electricity debt from Albania is a good help to Kosovo's electromagnetic system. So far ago, when it is known that once again these days at international power exchanges, the price of electricity has begun to rise very much.

The price of electricity on the Hungarian Stock Exchange (HUPXX) -- the most popular and frequent market in Kosovo -- is starting to rise rapidly these days. And that price has reached up to 500 euros for a megawatt-hour. What assistance is the return of debt from KESH, it speaks of only the first six days of this month, KEDS has imported electricity worth over 4.5m euros. Because, just for the first six days of December KEDS& KESCO has imported 11,560 megawatts, which translated into money, total over 4.5m euros.

If it were to continue to be imported now to meet increased consumption needs during Wednesday, today's day and now, it would take a lot of money to import the necessary stream at stratosphere prices. Admittedly, the price of imported energy is not nearly as bad as it was in the days of the great energy crisis. It's significantly lower. But for poor Kosovo, any imported megavata-hour is expensive. This situation, somewhat quite favourable for Kosovo, with its capacities known lack of electricity, should not serve us to spend more electricity, or save it. It has to be said that if more consumption continues, as is expected to occur with the coming of the cold days and true winter, there will be a much greater shortage of electricity.

For the obvious and large distribution of production and consumption that is expected to take place in low-merature days, Kosovo authorities also continue to alarmed. Artane Rizvanolli, these days for the time in Kosovo media, has said winter is still unpredictable, and that we should be prepared for the worst. It consistently appealed to consumers to save as much and wherever the current can be saved, lower electricity consumption and production from the country's capacities to make it stable.

And we say that through various measures that stimulate energy savings, encourage citizens and reward those that save energy. And as we have said earlier, one of the major factors in the short term that can be done is on the one hand to reduce energy consumption, and on the other hand make sure that production from our resources, especially from KEK, is stable”, Minister Rizvanolli recently said.

According to her, average electricity consumption in Kosovo in the first nine months of this year had marked a 6.4 per cent reduction. However, Kosovars do not have many alternatives in their lack of electricity and the needs for electricity expected to increase during December and January. Thus, the savings of electricity and the reduction of expenses are essential and the alternatives that await us in terms of the lack of electricity. Kosovo has no other solution in the icy days, except conditional reductions, the necessary savings of each consumer, or high-cost import and say unaffordable for poor Kosovo and lack of money. Of course, a great contribution would be to return the debt from Albania during the coming days, especially during the time of the high temperature decrease.