Less than 24 hours after the announcement of the Kosovar Electricity Distribution Company (KEDS) about electricity reductions in the country, it seems that the solution has been found, at least for the moment.

KEDS had announced reductions according to the schedule - six hours with electricity and two hours without it.

The Ministry of Economy has confirmed that regular electricity supply has been restored, following a cooperation agreement between Kosovo and Albania.

"Thanks to this work and cooperation between Kosovo and Albania, namely the Kosovo Energy Corporation (KEK) and the Albanian Electricity Corporation (KESH), it was possible to avoid reductions from 14:00 [August 15] and to continue the regular supply of electricity", announced the ME.

According to the ministry, the daily electricity production in the Kosovo Energy Corporation (KEK) is currently 507MWh per hour, while the demand for consumption is up to 750MWh per hour.

"We are preparing measures not only for regular supply, but especially to stop the unauthorized use of electricity, i.e. losses from theft.

These losses continue to be very high, for which the company and the responsible institutions have not achieved results", the ministry announced.

The supply, according to the ME, is being done only by local production due to the high price of energy in the international energy exchanges, where the rest is being imported.

The price of energy on the Hungarian stock exchange (HUPX) is around 430 euros per MWh.

Whereas, the Operator of the Electricity System, Transmission and Market of Kosovo (KOSTT) has announced that as a result of the lack of balance between the consumption of electricity in the country and that provided to cover the consumption by the responsible operators in the market, significant deviations have been caused to the interconnected system of Europe, during the last weeks and months.

"The state of the energy crisis that the Electric Power System of Kosovo is facing as a reflection of the global energy crisis requires understanding and mobilization of all the factors there, in addition to the commitment that the responsible institutions are making, the contribution of citizens is also advised by using electricity in a way that more rational as far as possible", emphasizes KOSTT.

Reactions of the opposition

The vice-president of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Vlora Çitaku, after the KEDS announcement of reductions, said that responsibility should be given for the successive sabotage of each project which would increase Kosovo's energy independence.

Çitaku added that the provision of electricity is a matter of national security.

"6-2 schedule of reductions in the middle of August, when the level of consumption is low.

We can guess what winter will be like in Kosovo this year.

"Someone should be held responsible for the successive sabotage of each project that would increase Kosovo's energy independence", it says in her reaction.

The Chairman of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Lumir Abdixhiku has criticized the Kurti Government, stressing that the winter of 2022 will be the hardest the country has ever experienced.

"This year's winter will be the hardest that Kosovo has ever experienced.

Energy reductions and expensive bills will hit every Kosovar family and every business - manufacturer, trader and service provider without distinction.

This new crisis does not originate in Kosovo, but its affordability depends only on the policies of the Government of Kosovo - which, although warned in time, stubbornly continues to only observe", says Abdixhiku.

Meanwhile, the head of the Parliamentary Group of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Besnik Tahiri, said that this warning is a psychological campaign by the Kurti Government.

"The warning of reductions at the point of summer is nothing more than a warning of a psychological campaign by the Kurti Government.

It is a call to get ready for a long winter", says Tahir's reaction.

What does the decision of the Government of Kosovo for the management of the energy crisis contain?

At the beginning of this month, the members of the Assembly of Kosovo voted the Government's decision to impose emergency measures in the electricity supply.

According to the reasoning, this decision was taken from the current world energy situation.

These measures will remain active for 60 days.

"The measures taken will remain in force for 60 (sixty) days after approval by the Assembly of Kosovo.

The Assembly can extend this deadline for consecutive periods of 30 (thirty) days with a majority vote of the members of the Assembly present at the session, up to 180 (one hundred and eighty) days", the announcement continues.

This decision includes:


- Support measures for citizens in order to provide heating during the winter;


– Banning the use of electricity for cryptocurrency mining;


– The support of the Transmission and Market System Operator (KOSTT) to undertake the necessary actions in order to maintain the security of the electrical energy system;

and


– Measures to save electricity consumption by all institutions.

We recall that at the end of last year, the government made a decision to declare a state of emergency with electricity.

/Telegraph/