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Almost eight years after building a high-voltage power interconnection, electricity trading companies in Albania and Kosovo* are now participating in a joint day-ahead market. The platform came online in April on the ALPEX bourse, based in Tirana.
The plan to integrate the electricity markets of Kosovo* and Albania is becoming a reality. The Albanian Power Exchange (ALPEX) launched day-ahead auctions in market coupling mode for the two bidding zones. The first delivery day is February 1.
The start follows the approval by the Energy Regulatory Office (ERO) of Kosovo* of ALPEX’s request to start trading. Albania’s Transmission System Operator (OST) holds 57.25% and Kosovo’s Transmission, System and Market Operator (KOSTT) owns the remaining stake.
ALPEX was established in October 2020. It began day-ahead market trading last April.
Albania, Kosovo* are separate control block under ENTSO-E
One of the most important steps toward market coupling was the construction of a 400 kV interconnection between Albania and Kosovo* in 2016.
Next, KOSTT left the Serbian regulatory area of the SMM block with Montenegro and North Macedonia within the Continental European Power System under the, and formed the AK control block with Albania’s OST in 2020 under the European Network of Transmission System Operators (ENTSO-E).
New group of members are government-owned electricity companies
The Albania bidding zone has 16 members. Since mid-November, government-controlled Kosovo Energy Corp. (KEK), KOSTT, Ibër-Lepenc, which operates the Ujman (Gazivode) hydropower plant, and Kosovo Electricity Supply Co (KESCO) joined the day-ahead market.
Chairman of the Board of ERO Ymer Fejzullahu highlighted the efforts toward day-ahead market coupling with North Macedonia and Greece. Officials and top regulators signed memoranda of understanding in November. The endeavor is backed by the United States. The North Macedonian domestic day-ahead platform was launched in May.
Serbia’s SEEPEX is running the most developed organized electricity market in the Western Balkans
As for the rest of the Western Balkans. Montenegro’s MEPX or BELEN has been operating power trading in the segment since April. Serbia’s SEEPEX bourse is the only complete one in the region, as it introduced the intraday electricity market in July.
Its owners – Serbia’s TSO Elektromreža Srbije (EMS, 75%) and European Power Exchange (EPEX Spot, 25%) – established the Alpine-Adriatic Danube Power Exchange – ADEX in December 2022 with Slovenia’s transmission system operator ELES, where each of the partners has a 33.3% stake. Discussions are underway to merge with Hungary’s HUPX exchange.
So in the meantime, what is Kosovo government doing about the aging power plant(s)? Is there any plan to build a new one in the area?