Kosovo's current energy production infrastructure is based on Kosovo A and Kosovo B Thermal Power Plants, which operate predominantly on coal (lignite). Although cheap local lignite reserves contribute to the country's energy independence, the environmental footprint created by these power plants poses a serious burden on both water resources and air quality. Sectoral environmental data published by the Kosovo Statistics Agency (ASK) transparently reveals the environmental costs of energy production and confirms the urgency of the "green energy transformation" in the country.
Water Consumption of Kosovo A and B Thermal Power Plants (2021-2023) Huge amounts of cooling water and industrial water are needed for thermal power plants to produce electricity. According to Ibër Lepenci water supply system data, T.R. Kosovo B power plant consumed 16.7 million cubic meters of water in 2022 and 14.2 million cubic meters in 2023.
. T.R. The annual average usage of Kosovo A power plant is in the range of 3.1 to 3.5 million cubic meters.
. This situation shows that a significant capacity of the country's most valuable freshwater basins is allocated only for electricity generation.
Cooling Water Need and Its Effect on Basin Resources When looking at the specific water use purposes in thermal power plants, it is seen that 15.29 million cubic meters of water in 2020 and 14.45 million cubic meters of water in 2021 will be used directly as "cooling water".
. The amount of wastewater discharged from power plant systems has reached up to 12 million cubic meters annually in the past years.
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Carbon (CO2) Emission Burden of the Energy Sector The second and largest environmental impact created by power plants is air quality and greenhouse gas emissions. The NACE D (Electricity and Gas Supply) sector alone accounts for approximately 77% of Kosovo's national carbon footprint, with 6,489 Gigagrams (Gg) of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions, according to 2021 data
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(Kosovo Investment Editorial Comment:) This high water consumption and huge carbon emissions created by thermal power plants have made renewable energy investments a top priority for the Kosovo government, which aims to comply with international standards (ESG). Foreign companies planning Solar Power Plants (SPP) and Wind Energy (RES) investments; It can both benefit from state purchase guarantees (Feed-in-Tariff) or tenders and play a key role in the country's integration process into the EU Green Deal. The unsustainability of the coal-based system is the biggest guarantee of the wide growth gap in the green energy market. Data alone is not enough to make an investment decision; Energy licensing processes, land allocation rules and grid connection regulations should also be examined legally.
u Consumption (2021-2023) Huge amounts of cooling water and industrial water are needed for thermal power plants to produce electricity. According to Ibër Lepenci water supply system data, T.R. Kosovo B power plant consumed 16.7 million cubic meters of water in 2022 and 14.2 million cubic meters in 2023. T.R. The usage of Kosovo A power plant is in the range of 3.1 to 3.5 million cubic meters per year on average. This situation shows that a significant capacity of the country's most valuable freshwater basins is allocated only for electricity generation.
i When we look at the specific water usage purposes in thermal power plants, it is seen that 15.29 million cubic meters of water will be used directly as "cooling water" in 2020 and 14.45 million cubic meters in 2021. The amount of wastewater discharged from power plant systems has reached up to 12 million cubic meters annually in the past years. Carbon (CO2) Emission Burden of the Energy Sector The second and largest environmental impact created by power plants is air quality and greenhouse gas emissions. The NACE D (Electricity and Gas Supply) sector alone accounts for approximately 77% of Kosovo's national carbon footprint, with 6,489 Gigagrams (Gg) of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions, according to 2021 data. (Kosovo Investment Editorial Comment:) This high water consumption and huge carbon emissions created by thermal power plants have made renewable energy investments a top priority for the Kosovo government, which aims to comply with international standards (ESG). Foreign companies planning Solar Power Plants (SPP) and Wind Energy (RES) investments; It can both benefit from state purchase guarantees (Feed-in-Tariff) or tenders and play a key role in the country's integration process into the EU Green Deal. The unsustainability of the coal-based system is the biggest guarantee of the wide growth gap in the green energy market. Data alone is not enough to make an investment decision; Energy licensing processes, land allocation rules and grid connection regulations should also be examined legally.