Studies of Kosovo A
By Arta Pllana
Hello and welcome…you are listening Unmik
on Air,
Recent studies by Consortium, an
International French Company, on the rehabilitation of four units of Kosovo
dismissed earlier appraisals that this power plant would not operate much
longer.
Built during the 60s and 70s, all Units of
Kosovo A have met their life expectancy of approximately 35 years and
theoretically should be ready to be retired.
The new studies, however, while not
refuting that premise argue that the units have a possible life extension of
between a further 10 to 15 years.
Investments to accomplish the projected
extended life expectancies are estimated to cost 300.million euro including
rehabilitation and maintenance costs.
The studies conducted were financed by the
European Agency for Reconstruction. Agron Orana as a senior task manager in the
energy sector of the Agency believes that this initiative can achieve the
extended lifetime of the units at reasonable cost. His main concern, however,
is finding that financing:
“Our Government and KeK have to decide who will repair those units, who
will finance them, which I think finding the way on how to finance it is the
main thing.”
Requests for these studies came from the
Ministry of Energy and Mining as they had believed that Kosovo A could be
repaired.
According to Agron Dida, private
investment opportunities are being explored:
”In a procedure we will chose the best offer for foreign investments,
private investments which will repair Kosovo A., we have foreseen to repair as
many, also depends from the interest of the investors… we have to see that at
least for one up to four… we have to see how profitable for the investor is all
this.”
Although talks are in the initial phase
and as yet inconclusive, putting the issue of extended production on the table
has produced an air of optimism among employees who see a potential opportunity
for their employment to continue well into the future, offering them some
stability. Hamdi Gashi Director of the Termo Central of Kosovo A explains:
“I have noticed a will power, they are working like they are different
workers, this report has influenced for good …it is worth investing in,
Government, Kek, Ministry is now on them now to find future investors for
Kosovo A.”
Currently units’ A1 and A5 are working.
Together they produce 165 megawatts. At the moment A3 is in emergency repair
and is expected by February next year to restart working, with the capacity of
120 megawatts.
If a decision for the go-ahead of the
rehabilitation is made by the beginning of next year then A4 is expected to be
back in operation by the end of 2007. Repairs on the next proposed unit will
follow.
According to the experts, a full general
rehabilitation of Kosovo A could be finished by the beginning of 2009 giving a
net output of 450 megawatts, which is around 40% of consumers needs. This
demonstrates that reconstruction is the best solution and most cost-effective
way to secure a steady supply of electricity for Kosovo in the mid term future.
Needless to say, this is not an easy
task. Agron Orana again:
”First the consumers need to decide on paying the electricity, which they
consume, means…. The revenue collection must increase because neither
Government or Kek don’t have the way financing the reconstruction of those
units in one hand, and other issue is the foreign investments if there is not
enough money coming from consumers I don’t think they will show interest to
invest in Kosovo without having a security that the power that is used is been
paid for.”
If all these conditions are met, consumers
may see the light at the end of the tunnel in resolving Kosovo’s long-time
electricity problems.
This was all for this edition… Stay tuned