KEDS, Elektrosever agree to regulate power supply in N. Kosovo

Kosovo government officials state that the majority of Serbs in northern Kosovo haven't paid for electricity since the end of the 1999 war when Serbia lost control of its former province. The local government has had to cover the costs of unpaid electricity, amounting to around 63 million euro ($67.8 million) in 2022 alone, an official of Kosovo’s power grid operator KOSTT said earlier.

The deal aligns with the Energy Roadmap, a 2022 agreement aimed at resolving the unlawful energy practices in the municipalities of Zubin Potok, Leposaviq, Zvecan and Northern Mitrovica, EEAS said on Saturday. The resolution of this issue is crucial for the EU-facilitated dialogue normalisation between the two countries.

According to Serbia’s president Aleksandar Vucic, only 11% of the Serbs in the four municipalities have paid for the electricity they have used.

“I am happy that KEDS and Elektrosever have reached an agreement, eliminating the possibility of people in northern Kosovo being left without electricity,” he was quoted as saying by local media.

As per the electricity roadmap agreement, in June 2022 Kosovo’s energy regulator, ERO, licensed Elektrosever to operate in the four Serbian-dominated municipalities, whereas in October KOSTT and Elektrosever signed a technical agreement. Agreeing with KEDS was the last step before Elektrosever could start operations in the area.

A tie-up between Turkish conglomerates Limak Holding and Calik Holding has been operating Kosovo’s energy distribution operator KEDS since 2012, when it signed a 26.3-million-euro privatisation contract with Kosovo’s government.

($=0.927 euro)