Interconnection underway between Macedonia and Albania

The construction of a 400 kV Bitola-Elbasan interconnection transmission line tops the list of priority projects within the Energy Community involving energy infrastructure, said Macedonian economy minister Bekim Neziri and Albania’s parliament speaker Ilir Meta at a meeting in Tirana, English language Independent.mk agency said.

Both men pointed that this is the first interconnection between the two systems and that it will be beneficial for both the Albanian and Macedonian electric power transmission systems.

“The construction of this transmission line will complete Corridor 8 and improve voltage conditions in southwestern Macedonia, transmission line overload will be prevented and power flow is expected to be increased thus contributing to the development of a regional electricity market,” Neziri stated.

This project is one of three in Southeast Europe which was interesting for the community of donors/financiers of energy projects by the European Commission – ones who finance the IPF Multi program with a new development instrument – the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). Donors/financiers are the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and KfW development bank.