Consumption is increasing, Kosovo is importing 1 million euros of electricity per day

The rise in temperatures that has affected Kosovo these days has also increased the demand for electricity. Currently, Kosovo is importing 1 million euros of energy. The Electricity Supply Company of Kosovo has announced that in order to cover the demands of the citizens, it is importing about 1 million euros of energy per day.

In a press release, it is stated that peak demand exceeds 800 megawatts of energy, which is "significantly above the average for this period". In this situation, it is said that the high temperatures, namely the large use of air conditioners, as well as the renovation of a unit of the Kosova B Thermal Power Plant, have had an impact, which, consequently, has reduced production.

The communique does not clarify for how long 1 million euros of energy is imported per day, but in Kosovo, for weeks, high temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius prevail. For comparison, in April last year, KESCO announced that in the first 11 days of the month, it imported about 5.4 million euros of electricity. At that time, this amount of import was affected by the drop in temperatures.

"The fact that the B1 unit of KEK is undergoing planned annual overhaul is also affecting the aggravation of the situation, causing the local production to be reduced by at least 250 MW.

So, currently Kosovo is not producing more than 500 MW. Meanwhile, the difference between production and demand is being covered by imports. Import prices have also increased a lot in recent days. In the markets of our region, the prices are being brought above 200 euros per megawatt. This is making the situation very difficult as energy has to be bought from abroad at an increased cost".

The Kosova Supply Company has added that in the extreme heat, the demand for electricity supply has increased "due to the massive use of air conditioners throughout Kosovo".

"It has come to this point because during these days the electricity situation has become extremely difficult due to several factors.

Initially, the demand increased excessively as a result of the extremely warm temperatures that are prevailing in our country, causing the demand at peak times to exceed 800 megawatts, significantly above the average of this period. This is due to the massive use of air conditioners throughout Kosovo.

KESCO remains committed to supplying consumers with electricity without interruption. But, he asks everyone to save electricity as much as possible, as a product that is vital for everyone, especially during extreme weather conditions". Kosovo has the capacity to produce about 800 megawatts of electricity per hour, while its needs, on winter days, reach up to 1,300 megawatts per hour.

One of the reasons for the underproduction is the decades-old age of the power plants. The data of the Statistics Agency of Kosovo, published in November, show that the production of electricity during the month of September of this year has fallen compared to the current produced during the same period of the previous year.

Last year, according to an earlier ERO report, more than 750 thousand megawatts of electricity were imported, while about 6.35 million megawatts were produced by the power plants of the Kosovo Energy Corporation./ Monitor