North Macedonia, Kosovo* planning 400 kV power interconnection

The transmission system operators (TSOs) of North Macedonia and Kosovo* are developing a project for a 400 kV interconnection line between Tetovo and Prizren. The investment would include other grid upgrades and expansion.

Director-General of North Macedonia’s MEPSO Burim Latifi and Acting Chief Executive Officer of Transmission, System and Market Operator (KOSTT) of Kosovo* Shaban Neziri signed a memorandum of cooperation in Skopje. The two transmission system operators intend to jointly upgrade the high-voltage network. The emphasis is on a strategic project for a 400 kV interconnection line from Tetovo to Prizren.

The endeavor aligns with the European Union’s energy transition goals by 2050, North Macedonia’s TSO said. The project is nominated through the planning platform of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) for increasing transmission capacities.

New interconnection to encourage investments in renewables

North Macedonia and Kosovo* have only one interconnection now, of 220 kV. According to ENTSO-E, Southeastern Europe needs to at least double transmission capacities and, in some cases, increase them even more than that, MEPSO stressed.

On that note, the bilateral project includes additional investments in the transmission network, such as the construction of a 400/110 kV transformer station in Tetovo, in North Macedonia’s northwest, and 400 kV transmission lines from Tetovo to Ohrid and Skopje.

“The 400 kV Tetovo-Prizren transmission line project will not only increase the system’s capacity and reliability but also enable greater electricity exchange, encouraging new investments in renewable energy sources,” Latifi said.

Investment to bolster East-West energy corridor

Regarding the other benefits, the heads of the two TSOs agreed that the project would bolster the transmission infrastructure in the region, strengthen the so-called East-West energy corridor and improve system flexibility.

The new document confirms the joint commitment to creating a modern and reliable energy infrastructure, Neziri stressed. “With this project, we are enhancing energy connectivity in the region and contributing to achieving the energy goals of the Western Balkans,” he added.

Strong interconnections are essential for the integration of the electricity market in the Western Balkans

The project is in the planning and technical preparation phase. The start of construction depends on securing financial resources and coordination with all relevant stakeholders, MEPSO explained.

Strong interconnections are essential for the integration of the electricity systems and markets in the region with the EU, through market coupling. Together with Albania and Greece, North Macedonia and Kosovo* are part of one such regional project, which has been suffering delays.

Market coupling is a prerequisite for the exemption of the power markets in the Western Balkans and the rest of the Energy Community from the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, or CBAM, under which a CO2 tax is set to start being charged on January 1.