Kosovo avoids rolling blackouts after securing Albanian supplies

• 2 years ago (2022-08-17)
• David Flin

Europe 1088 Transmission 191

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Kosovo’s energy ministry has announced that it is cancelling planned power cuts for the time being as it had managed to secure electricity supplies from Albania. It did not say how long the arrangement would last for.

Albania, which is reliant on hydropower, is facing a drought and so also having to import energy.

Kosovo and Albania have an agreement to share electricity, with Kosovars typically needing more in winter to heat their homes and Albanians more in summer for air conditioning. About 90 per cent of Kosovo’s electricity production is from coal, and power utility KEK has said it has shut down almost half of its generators to prepare them for winter. Electricity consumption in Kosovo tends to more than double in the winter.

Earlier this month, Kosovo’s parliament declared a 60-day energy state of emergency to help the government take steps to cope with the crisis. Including power cuts.