Bekteshi: Heating will be available in Skopje regardless of whether TE-TO provides it or not
Skopje, 10 October 2022 (MIA) – Economy Minister Kreshnik Bekteshi said Monday heating energy will be available for all consumers in Skopje as of October 15, regardless of whether the cogeneration power plant TE-TO will provide it or not.
“If TE-TO doesn’t operate in terms of electricity production, the by-product of which is to provide 60 to 70 percent of the heating energy production for the city of Skopje, the heating plants “Istok” and “Zapad” will cover for the entire consumption in terms of heating energy in the city of Skopje. If TE-TO is operating, the heating plants will operate with less intensity,” Bekteshi told reporters at Monday’s official launch of the solar power plant with a capacity of 17 megawatts located in Amzabegovo, Sveti Nikole.
He stressed that under current prices of electricity on the HUPX regional exchange, it is cheaper for companies on the free market to procure electricity from imports than to have it produced by TE-TO.
“If we take the current price of natural gas of EUR 1,500 for 1,000 normal cubic meters, the price of electricity production from the TE-TO power plant will be around EUR 280 per MWh. On the other hand, the price on the HUPX exchange is currently EUR 200 per MWh, which means that companies on the free market are better off importing electricity than obtain it from TE-TO,” Bekteshi added.
He noted that he has publicly called on those responsible at the “Skopje Sever” heating plant, which is under bankruptcy proceedings, to contact ESM for the purchase of natural gas.
“If they have the legal opportunity, they can directly contact “Makpetrol” for the purchase of gas,” Bekteshi added.
He said the Government has already forwarded amendments to the Law on Commodity Reserves to the Parliament in order to provide alternative energy sources if there are gas supply issues due to recent events in the war in Ukraine.
