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Balkan countries are turning to coal to ease the crisis caused by rising energy prices.
This has added to fears among environmentalists that countries are withdrawing from commitments to gradually phase out fossil-based fuels, which cause pollution and impact climate change.
Northern Macedonia, once a leader in attracting renewable energy investors, said earlier this month that it was planning to open two new coal mines to supply its power plants.
The Ministry of Energy also said it wants to buy 3 million tonnes of coal from neighboring Kosovo, although no agreement has been signed yet.
“With the onset of the energy crisis, not only us, but all countries in Europe have immediately increased the production of electricity from coal because this is the source of the lowest cost and safest.” says Vasko Kovacevski, President of the state-owned energy company of Northern Macedonia, Elektrani na Severna Makedonija (ESM).
Rising wholesale prices, scarce reserves and the Russian attack on Ukraine have pushed up energy prices and prompted many countries to try to provide other alternatives to electricity supply.
But environmental activists say a return to coal is not the answer.
“Decarbonisation is one of the pillars of the green agenda and we now present a plan for opening a coal mine? “This is unacceptable.” says Nevena Smilevska from the environmental organization “Eco-svest” in Skopje.
The new coal mines are in Zhivojno, near the Manastir power plant in the south of the country, and Gushterica, near the Oslomej power plant in the west. The government and the state-owned energy company, ESM, have not set a date for the opening of new mines and their level of production.
Skopje originally planned to phase out coal use by 2027, but in January extended the deadline to 2030.
Meanwhile, Kosovo said foreign companies, including those from Germany, had also requested the purchase of coal. Kosovo has the world’s fifth largest deposits of lignite, a type of soft coal with a relatively low energy content, which causes toxic pollution when burned.
Serbia has said it is increasing coal production due to insufficient rainfall for hydropower plants and will import 500 tonnes of coal a day from Montenegro.
Bosnia, the only Balkan country that exports electricity, says it will delay plans to shut down coal-fired power plants due to high energy prices and the impact of the war in Ukraine. A 10-megawatt solar power plant has recently been built at the Oslomej power plant in northern Macedonia as part of a plan to replace coal-fired power generation.
The news that more coal will be burned in this power plant was received with concern by Xhelil Zendeli, who lives nearby.
“People here are outraged. This power plant should not operate for another day. “The sooner they close it, the better.” he said.
A large amount of dust has fallen on the surface of the tiles of his house, caused by the burning of coal in the power plant.
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