Investors Ignore Kosovo's Alternative Power Potential
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- Category: Economy
- Published on Sunday, 27 January 2013 10:46
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Developments, EBRD, has expressed its willingness to invest in Kosovo's power sector, describing it as “a key priority” to the bank.
An EBRD delegation visited Kosovo last week to assess increasing the country’s power generation capacity, mainly by financing a new plant, the New Kosovo Power Plant.
While investors' interest in energy in Kosovo is seen as welcome, the apparent focus on fossil fuel is causing alarm in some circles, owing to the country's high pollution levels.
Nezir Sinani, from the Institute for Development Policy, says the bank's interest in investing in lignite “is not a good sign” for hopes of increased investment in currently neglected alternative energy.
“There are a lot of renewable energy sources in Kosovo, and they have to be used more than they are now," he said.
"Only 3 per cent of Kosovo’s current energy mosaic is made up of renewable sources,” he told Balkan Insight.
Sinani stressed the need for Kosovo to start generating more of its energy from hydro resources, from wind, solar power, and from biomass and geothermal energy, so that the current “degradation of the environment can stop”.
Whether this will happen remains unclear, however.
Approximately 98 per cent of the power generated within Kosovo today comes from two lignite coal-fired thermal power plants, called Kosovo A and Kosovo B, which have a net operating capacity of between 840 and 900 MW. By contrast, Germany obtains less than a quarter of its energy from lignite.
A recent World Bank study, meanwhile, noted that exploiting lignite, also known as "brown coal", is “the least expensive thermal option, even when the relatively higher environmental costs are priced in”.
But, Sinani maintains that investment in alternative energy will cost less in the long term, while also creating new job opportunities.
Kosovo’s Energy Strategy for 2009-2018 estimates domestic lignite reserves at a total of 12.5 billion tons, of which most, 10.9 billion tons, are exploitable.
The country's power system has a total installed electricity generation capacity of nearly 1,524 MW, with about 920 MW as net operating capacity.
Environmental issues are a key priority for Kosovo as it tries to harmonise its legislation and standards to those of the EU.
But neglect of the development of alternative energy sources is not the only issue facing the power sector in the country.
Ethem Ceku, a former energy minister of Kosovo, has accused the government of lazy thinking generally when it comes to energy planning, and of potentially allowing foreign investors to obtain a virtual monopoly.
“Kosovo’s government has to play more of a role in regulation of prices and take action in the market to impact on the price”, he added.
Edona Peci
Source: http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/kosovo-between-dirty-and-alternative-energy
International investors are showing increased interest in Kosovo’s energy sector - but some experts fear the focus on lignite sources could end up worsening the current high pollution levels.
Read more: Investors Ignore Kosovo's Alternative Power Potential
Greece says it beats public deficit target
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- Category: Economy
- Published on Friday, 25 January 2013 15:34
Greece narrowed its public deficit to 8.1 percent in 2012, a junior finance minister said on Tuesday, marking a rare improvement over targets pledged to its EU-IMF creditors.
L'"Insee" grec soupçonné d'avoir gonflé le déficit du pays
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- Category: Economy
- Published on Thursday, 24 January 2013 11:40
Un scandale politico-financier de plus pour la Grèce. Le directeur ainsi que deux autres cadres de l'Institut national de la statistique en Grèce (Elstat) ont fait l'objet de l'ouverture d'une enquête judiciaire par le parquet d'Athènes, mardi 22 janvier. Ils sont soupçonnés d'avoirgonflé artificiellement les chiffres du déficit public de la Grècepour l'année 2009.
Read more: L'"Insee" grec soupçonné d'avoir gonflé le déficit du pays
Албания взе лиценза на ЧЕЗ
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- Category: Economy
- Published on Tuesday, 22 January 2013 09:32
Албанският държавен регулатор ЕРЕ отне лиценза на CEZ Shperndarje след спор, довел до прекъсвания във водоснабдяването и на тока. 75% от акциите в електроразпределителното дружество са собственост на чешката фирма ЧЕЗ, съобщава Асошиейтед прес.
Според директора на МВФ Гърция се движи в правилната посока
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- Category: Economy
- Published on Thursday, 17 January 2013 13:55
Икономическата програма на Гърция се движи в правилната посока, заяви управляващият директор на Международния валутен фонд Кристин Лагард след като управителният съвет на МВФ се съгласи да отпусне следващия транш от финансовия спасителен план за Атина, предаде Ройтерс.
Read more: Според директора на МВФ Гърция се движи в правилната посока
The Cypriot side of the court by Stavros Lygeros
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- Category: Economy
- Published on Tuesday, 15 January 2013 14:31
As was expected, exploratory drilling for natural gas in Block 12 of Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) has indicated that there are untapped energy sources in the area.
Greek opposition leader calls for European debt conference
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- Category: Economy
- Published on Tuesday, 15 January 2013 13:46
Greek opposition leader Alexis Tsipras, head of Syriza party, addresses MPs. He has called for a 1950s-style debt conference.
Read more: Greek opposition leader calls for European debt conference
Цените на хотелите в Гърция падат
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- Category: Economy
- Published on Thursday, 10 January 2013 15:13
Притиснати от кризата, хотелиерите в Гърция през януари са свалили цените до най-ниските нива за последните четири години, съобщава агенция АНА-МПА.
Credit ratings by agency and country - Updated 3rd January 2013
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- Category: Economy
- Published on Thursday, 10 January 2013 13:38
Credit ratings by agency and country - Updated 3rd January 2013 Data summary
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Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH) parliament adopted budget 2013
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- Category: Economy
- Published on Wednesday, 19 December 2012 09:45
Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH) parliament adopted the country's 2013 budget last week, a precondition for releasing the next 60 million-euro instalment of its 405 million-euro standby arrangement with the IMF.
Read more: Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH) parliament adopted budget 2013
Ratings agency upgrades Greece
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- Category: Economy
- Published on Wednesday, 19 December 2012 08:45
US ratings agency Standard and Poor's on Tuesday upgraded Greece's creditworthiness from "selective default" to B-, an upgrade of six notches.
Greece jubilant after finance ministers approve €49 billion bailout payment
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- Category: Economy
- Published on Friday, 14 December 2012 08:36
Greece is to get €49.1 billion worth of bailout funds after eurozone finance ministers in Brussels agreed the latest tranche of emergency funding on Thursday (13 December).
Read more: Greece jubilant after finance ministers approve €49 billion bailout payment
