The administration of US President Donald Trump has approved the continuation of the US Government's Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact program for Kosovo, said Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani.
According to Osmani, she was officially informed about this issue by the US Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau.
"Great news for Kosovo! Deep gratitude to the United States of America," she wrote on Facebook.
The Kosovo Presidency said that Osmani, during his stay in the US earlier in July, had submitted a request to American officials for the continuation of this program.
In April 2024, MCC and the Government of Kosovo launched the implementation of this compact program, which is focused on providing clean energy solutions.
The program is worth $236.7 million. Of this amount, $202 million is from MCC and another $34.7 million is a contribution from the Government of Kosovo.
MCC compact programs are five-year grants issued by this corporation to states that meet the eligibility requirements for such programs.
In 2022, Kosovo reached an agreement with the MCC for the compact program.
According to the agreement, the key project of this program is energy conservation.
Through it, Kosovo will have energy reserves through high-capacity batteries of 170 megawatts. These batteries will enable the provision of reserves of about 347 megawatts per hour.
At the launch ceremony of the program's implementation, Kosovo Government officials said that through this program, by the end of 2027, Kosovo is expected to have the largest battery capacity in the world per capita.
At the time, the Kosovo executive said that the MCC compact aims to introduce an advanced energy storage system to create reliable, renewable energy sources that will be integrated into Kosovo's grid and reduce the need for energy to be produced from coal.
Meanwhile, the MCC has stated that the compact will serve as "the cornerstone of Kosovo's transition to green energy, increasing the country's energy security and promoting its socio-economic transformation."
Kosovo produces most of its energy through the burning of coal, in two power plants: Kosovo A and B.
According to the Energy Strategy, which was approved in 2023, Kosovo aims to generate 35 percent of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2031.
The strategy also envisages that coal will be completely phased out by 2050.
Otherwise, MCC has been cooperating with Kosovo since 2016. In addition to the compact energy program, MCC has also had other programs for economic development in Kosovo worth $50 million.
This US agency has also offered scholarships for women's education in the energy field. /REL (A2 Televizion)
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