Prishtina, 23.03.2022 – Given the circulation of some news in the local media regarding the Government meeting that involved discussions on the future project with MCC, we as the Ministry of Economy, and at the same time, the bearer of the process of Compact Development from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), inform you that the planned project is not related to the development of the TAP gas pipeline.

The Government of Kosovo today approved the initiative to negotiate the co-funding agreement of the Compact program between the Republic of Kosovo and the development agency of the US Government, the Millennium Challenge Corporation. The Compact Program will be worth $ 234 million and will include two projects:

1. Energy reserve and arbitrage (batteries with high capacity over 200 MWh)
2. Workforce development and inclusion of women in the energy sector.

The first project consists of the purchase and installation of high-capacity batteries, which serve as energy reserves. The reserve will be used to stabilize the fluctuating frequency of electricity as a consequence of supply and consumption imbalances. Batteries can also be used for energy arbitrage, namely, for storing energy in the early hours of the morning when consumption is low and utilizing it when consumption is high. Furthermore, batteries could be easily connected to solar, wind, or similar sources, which would accelerate Kosovo’s transition to renewable and sustainable energy sources.

The second project includes two activities:

1. Development of energy workforce for the future, which aims to create a study program that, will develop the skills of individuals who will work in the energy sector, thus supporting the investment with MCC; and 2. The inclusive workforce in the energy sector will aim to increase the inclusion of women in the sector through several sub-activities, such as scholarships for university studies in the field of energy, dedicated to women, supporting employers in the sector for a more suitable environment for women, the growth and empowerment of women in the energy network, the growth of women’s entrepreneurship and giving of the award for the best job positions for women.

The Compact Program investments will be the property of Kosovo and during the completion of the development phase and the negotiations with our partners from MCC, we will inform the public about the developments and the final details of the project.