Blocking local energy production: Irresponsible, stealing, or treason?

It says: Adri Nurellari 

In December 2020, after more than three years of bureaucratic procrastination, French giant Aquao Energy managed to obtain the status of strategic investor from the Hoti government for the construction of an energy park in Qyqavica. However, this status was canceled after the government came to power Kurti, shortly after the political rotation, restoring the procedure to zero. This decision, most likely, prompted the company to withdraw from the project, which included a 120m-euro investment and a production capacity of 100 megawatts from wind energy. Instead, Aqua Energy chose to invest in northern Macedonia, where it is currently developing a solar power park with a capacity of 400 megawatts and an investment of 270m euros.

A year after the Qyqavica wind mill project was cancelled, the government Kurti refused another major project, this time offered by the United States through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). The project included a $200m grant for the construction of the Skopje-Pristina gas pipeline, which would link Kosovo to the international natural gas network through TAP (The Trans-Adriatic Gas pipeline). The project also envisioned the construction of a gas power plant, with a capacity of 250 Me, which would diversify energy resources and significantly improve the power supply in Kosovo.

Gas connection would have created a new alternative to electricity production and would provide raw materials for the chemical industry, opening prospects for industrial development and economic growth. Moreover, the use of heating and cooking gas would be much cheaper and less polluting compared to current options. This development would significantly reduce electricity consumption in households, bringing a huge savings to citizens and a significant relief of pressure on the power grid.

The two aforementioned cases clearly indicate that the government Kurti did not cancel energy projects in Kosovo because they were not green or clean, as expected with the annulment of the next energy project, that of New Kosovo coal that would provide 500 megawars. Three such decisions on blocking domestic electricity production raise serious questions about the reasons for cancellation. This situation may have some explanations, depending on the point of view.

In the best case, if we want to show the government, we can say that these actions have been committed without negative consequences or malicious motives, but simply as a result of lack of ability, irresponsibleness, lack of competence or experience. Such decision-making, due to disability, may have brought serious consequences to Kosovo's economy and energy security, but without bad intentions after them.

However, we can also assume that these decisions have been made for corrupt reasons, exploiting an opportunity for personal or group benefit. The practice of electricity trading, where energy is sold at a lower price than the international market and bought at a higher price, creates spaces for large profits. This phenomenon has also been witnessed in other cases in the region, such as energy relatives in Pristina.

In a worse scenario, and far away from that, we can suggest that these decisions are related to motives that affect national security. Kosovo's energy output may have been deliberately sabotaged to make the country more fragile and dependent on imports, especially those from Serbia. Such a scenario becomes even more disturbing in light of reports of a large payment transferred from Belgrade's GEN-I in favour of one of the key individuals in Vetevendosje Movement, Martin Berisha.

First testing that these decisions are a consequence of gullibility is also difficult to accept, given that Prime Minister Albin Kurti has the only formal qualifications in electrical engineering, which he is supposed to give knowledge of the strategic importance of energy resources. Furthermore, the relatives of his two close associates, Nagip Krasniqi and Martin Berishaj, fuel enormous doubts. The first faces charges of abuse in the sale of energy, while the second for questionable financial transfers from GEN-I, one of the most powerful energy dealers in the region.

The fact that these individuals, with close ties to the prime minister, are facing charges makes it even harder to believe that these decisions have been innocent or without hidden motives. This blocking trend towards domestic production raises serious doubts about the integrity of the decision-making process and the real motives behind the annulment of these vital projects. In this context, an independent and deepening investigation is necessary to whitewash not only the motives but also any potential link to these decisions with harmful practices for public interest, which have burdened citizens, Kosovo's economy and the country's energy security.