Kosovo’s energy crisis continues to deepen as the Kosovo Energy Corporation (KEK) is now only operating with one thermal power plant unit due to a technical failure.
KEK announced that only one block of the Kosova A Thermal Power Plant is operating with a daily production of 120 MegaWatts per hour (MWh), which is insufficient to supply even the capital of Pristina. As a response, Prime Minister Albin Kurti has called for consumption saving measures, but more cuts seem hard to avoid.
The country was set to enforce scheduled power cuts to save energy, but they announced they were not necessary at the last minute due to an energy deal with Albania. But with Albania itself set to run out of hydropower energy in the coming weeks, meaning it will have to switch to imports, another agreement seems unlikely.
“The Energy Corporation of Kosovo informs the opinion that for technical reasons, the B-1 unit has stopped production for a while…” KEK said.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti, in the General Council of the Vetëvendosje Movement, said that even though they allocated €100 million to reduce the cost of energy, the price continues to increase.
“We need an open and honest debate about the situation we are in and the challenge we face so that during the winter, we can focus on what is possible and, above all, energy saving. We have already allocated €100 million to soften the impact of the increase in energy bills for citizens, but the price of energy is constantly increasing,” he added.
KEK said they hope full service will be restored soon.
“KEK experts are doing their best to return the unit to operate at the optimal time. Currently, the process of intensive cooling of the unit has begun, then the inspection will be carried out, which follows with the remediation of the leak in the boiler and the preparations for the return of this unit to operation,” he added.
Source: euractiv.com
