Rizvanolli: Within three years 500MW production is planned by renewable energy

So said Economy Minister Artane Rizvanolli on Tuesday in the case of opening Public Consultations for Energy Strategy 2022-2031.

Rizvanolli said that in the next three years, capacity will be achieved to up to 500 megawatts of renewable energy, adding solar power capacities.

For the first time, our energy strategy envisions extremely ambitious targets in terms of renewable energy resources exploitation, and over the next three years, we will achieve production capacities of 500 megawatts of renewable energy. This will be achieved by increasing solar power capacities, which means that in 2025 we will have twice as much of the capacity of renewable energy resources as we have had during 2021. As of 2031, we will reach 1400 megawatts from renewable energy capacities, building new wind and solar capacities. Integration of these renewable energy sources into the network will be enabled thanks to batteries in the capacity of at least 170 megawatts or 340 megawatts of spare hours. By 2031 we aim at at at least 35 per cent of electricity consumption being generated from renewable sources, while pollution from thermal power plants reduces it to at least 32 per cent”, Rizvanolli stressed.

Minister Rizvanolli stressed at the media conference that this strategy represents the new route through which Kosovo will move to make the energy system cleaner, more reliable and decentralised.

In fact, according to it in this draft strategy, new solutions have been given to reinstate TC subx0> Kosovo A”.

The supply security will be reinforced by investing in making our existing capacities more reliable, but even more friendly to the environment. In TC “, Kosovo B” investments will be made to achieve efficiency and reduce pollution. A TC subx3> unit Kosovo A” will be revived, for this procedure will start as soon as possible, and while this investment is under way, the decision will be made as far as the revittal of another unit of this thermal power plant is concerned. Meanwhile, new capacities with renewable energy sources from the sun and wind will be worked intensively so that since 2028 the re-volved units of “Kosovas A” need to work only during the winter months when demand for electricity increases due to the need for heat”, Rizvani stressed.

The economy minister also said market integration with the Republic of Albania is a priority for Kosovo.

“Market integration with Albania is a top and especially important priority for our country. The first step in this direction will be the full functioning of the Albanian Alpex Energy Stock Exchange, which is expected as early as 2023. Our government is also committed to increasing joint planning in the energy system with Albania, along with investment in the natural gas plant in order to cover the system's basic or flexibility requirement in Albania, but also in northern Macedonia and Greece, where construction will be considered in order over the years to come. The government is committed to transforming the energy sector through social justice. For the first time, Kosovo citizens will be placed in the centre of the energy future, ensuring that they have access to energy at affordable cost”, she stressed.

Strategic objectives under this draft strategy remain decarbonisation and promotion of renewable energy. Until the technical analysis of this draft was done by a group of independent experts.