Rehabilitation of Coal Power Plant in Kosova

Abstract

In Kosovo 97% of total electricity is generated from lignite power plant, with total install capacity 1512 MW, but with current available capacity of 834 MW. The generation system, during the past eight years, was not in position to meet domestic demand. After the war in Kosovo the shortages of production has required importation of great amount of electricity. Following the intervention of the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) in 1999 the Kosovo is administrated by the United Nations under Security Council Resolution 1244 (United Nation Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo-UNMIK), first main activities in the energy sector consisted of repairing damaged facilities, rehabilitating equipment that had been inadequately maintained during the years of conflict, restoring production at thermal power stations and in coal mines. One of the most urgent tasks in power sector for the Kosovo is rehabilitation of its thermal power plants and building new generating capacity. In the paper aim to present energy situation in Kosovo and the dilemmas of rehabilitation of old thermal power plant Kosovo A. and to investigate the feasibility of rehabilitation of coal thermal power plant Kosovo A with five units. Further in the paper will be presented: structural changes of power sector; main pieces of Kosova legislation regarding the interaction between energy conversion technologies and environment; evolution trends of the pollution generated by thermal power units; difficulties encountered in the process of alignment to the EU provisions.