Kosovo* to transfer 100-120 MW in licenses from hydropower to solar, wind projects – minister

Kosovo’s* Ministry of Economic Development aims to transfer the quota of 100-120 MW for hydropower projects to solar and wind power projects, Economic Development Minister Valdrin Lluka said at the opening of the Green Festival in Prishtina.

The Green Festival, held for a third year in a row, promotes green businesses and raises awareness and interest in recycling, renewable energy, and energy efficiency.

The ministry intends to transfer 100-120 MW in licenses from hydro to solar and wind energy because there is greater interest of both foreign and local investors for developing this type of energy projects, Lluka said, according to a press release on the ministry’s website.

Lluka said that the ministry has undertaken all measures to ensure that licenses for investments in renewable energy sources are granted in an open and transparent manner, through auctions, to avoid problems caused by waiting lists for licenses.

In November 2017, Lluka revealed that Kosovo* will be looking for investments in the solar energy sector through the new auction scheme. He said that the investments could reach EUR 100 million.

So far, there have not been any auctions for solar power projects in Kosovo*.

Kosovo* now generates almost all of its electricity from coal-fired power plants with a combined installed capacity of 1,000 MW. It is calculated that Kosovo* has a notably large potential in the solar sector given its average of 278 sunny days and 2,000 hours of sun per year.

According to the Energy Community’s latest Annual Implementation Report for 2017, Kosovo* committed to a binding target of 25% of energy from renewable sources in gross final energy consumption in 2020 compared with 18,9% in 2009.

In 2015, Kosovo* registered a decrease in the share of energy from renewable sources compared with previous years. The 18,5% registered is below the third indicative trajectory of 21.6%. Kosovo* is falling back below the trajectory partly due to the increase of energy consumption by 10.7% in 2015 compared with the previous year. Since 2009, Kosovo* has increased the renewable energy capacities by only 15 MW, the report reads.