TIRANA (Albania), Aug. 27 (SeeNews) – Albanian electricity exchange ALPEX is launching a call for tenders as part of a call for tenders for the establishment of an electronic trading platform for daily and intraday markets for the functioning of the common market of energy exchange between Albania and Kosovo, he said on Friday.

The tender deadline is September 16, as bids are not expected to exceed 225 million leks ($ 2.1 million / € 1.8 million), ALPEX said in a notice from call for tenders published by the Albanian Public Procurement Agency.

The mission must be completed within 48 months, ALPEX added.

The Tirana-based ALPEX was created in October last year by the Albanian transmission system operator OST and its Kosovar counterpart KOSTT as sole shareholders with respectively 57.25% and 42.75% of the shares. actions, following a memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries in 2017.

The energy exchange aims to facilitate the sale and purchase of energy at prices that reflect true market value and eliminate the need for public tenders.

The governments of Albania and Kosovo see the common energy market as a very important step towards increasing the transmission of electricity between the two countries. They also expect the common market to improve electricity supply to consumers in Albania and Kosovo and add value to energy infrastructure in the South East European region.

The first step towards establishing a common market was taken in June 2016 with the inauguration of a 400 kV interconnection power line worth € 75.5 million between Albania and Kosovo funded by the German government through the KfW development bank.

Almost all of Albanian electricity is produced by hydropower plants, while over 98% of Kosovo’s electricity production is produced by coal-fired power plants. Both countries suffer from power shortages due to insufficient generation, the age of their networks and theft.

(1 euro = 120,424 leks)