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Power line connecting Macedonia, Albania to be constructed

Xinhua, December 10, 2015 Adjust font size:

Macedonian Transmission System Operator AD (MEPSO) will construct the Macedonian electricity connection from Bitola of Macedonia to Elbasan of Albania, the first 400 kw (Kilowatts) interconnection line with Albania, local media reported Thursday.

The project will be conducted through the loan of 37 million euros (about 40 million U.S. dollars) taken from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and a 12 million euro (about 13 million U.S. dollars) grant provided under the WBIF Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) 2015 funds.

EBRD Western Balkans Director, Holger Muent, MEPSO Secretary General, Sinisa Spasov and the chief of the EU mission in Macedonia, Aivo Orav, attended meeting of the signing of the loan agreement.

The agreement foresees the construction of 95 km of 400 kw power transmission line from the southwestern Macedonian city of Bitola to the Albanian border with a substation at Ohrid and to implement grid efficiency components.

Macedonian Minister of Economy, Bekim Neziri, in his address after the signing ceremony stated that "With the construction of this transmission line, both Macedonian and Albanian electrical power markets will benefit considerably."

Muent said that "the construction of the new line will connect the Macedonian electricity market, which is dominated by thermal power, to the Albanian electricity market, where hydro-power prevails. This will improve the balancing of the two electricity systems, reduce operational costs and boost the use of renewable energy."

Spasov said that the complete documentation for the project is to be prepared by the end of 2016, while energy facilities are expected to be fully built by 2019. The total value of the project is expected to exceed 65 million euros (about 71 million U.S. dollars).

This project is part of the European Commission's initiative to establish an East-West electricity transmission corridor between Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro and Italy, including the planned submarine cable from Montenegro to Italy, an important step toward establishing a regional electricity market. Enditem