New Kosova Report

Thaçi blocks UNMIK-approved energy contracts

Friday, 01 February 2008

Kosovo is rich in coal deposits

Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi has blocked 17 single-source tenders at the Kosovo Power Corporation (KEK), which were previously allowed by the UNMIK chief, German Joachim Rücker.
Express newspaper adds that the cancelled tenders worth over 20 million euros are for repairing Block A5 and the Coal Excavator. Citing unnamed sources, the paper notes that the company contracted to carry out repairs was the German branch of the Alstom company.

“The 16 cancelled tenders were single-source and it is suspected that there were many fixes,” added the source. The same source noted that this was done following an order by Rücker and the funds were allocated from the Kosovo budget.

Despite investments approaching $1 billion by the EU and Kosovo budget in the repair of Kosovo's two ageing coal powerplants, powercuts are still common in Kosovo. Critics have mantained that with the same amount of money a completely new powerplant of the current capacity could have been constructed. The bid winner for a new powerplant to be completed in 2013 will be announced after status resolution.