The energy sector in Kosovo continues to face numerous challenges, where according to the evaluations of European institutions, the energy intensity is over four times higher than the EU average, while the intensity of carbon or pollution is over 7 times higher than the EU average.

To address the challenges in this sector, the EU, among other things, has allocated an additional grant for the introduction of central heating in eight municipalities of Kosovo. This technical assistance project worth 2 million euros, according to the communique of the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) (Link: https://www.wbif.eu/news-details/eu-allocates-additional-grant-introduce-district-heating-eight-municipalities-kosovo?fbclid=IwAR2zxv0Ck8xhXc5LEXqWa5GtD_9TsPmtc4gMfzSuDxOr_J-vy6idAzuLDdk_aem_AXEoLCUEZdGAy3HsGJnXx8BRwSOzLuZVgC2RifbpWDAKoEPPLnEBHrju89gAWwJjjMVn-kYb23OGb1fUNoF1lAJQ)  started in October 2021 to support the preparation of the Feasibility Study for Central Heating, based on renewable energy in eight municipalities of Kosovo: Prizren, Gjilan, Ferizaj, Pejë, Drenas, Obiliq, Mitrovica and Zveçan.

It emphasizes that current heating systems are not suitable for collective residential and service sector buildings and that they have a significant negative impact on both air quality and public health. While the Feasibility Study should present the possibilities of using environmentally friendly and locally available primary energy sources with different technologies and distribute the heat through high efficiency central heating systems. It is also added that central heating systems exist in very few municipalities of Kosovo, while Prizren, Peja, Ferizaj and Gjilan do not have such systems, despite their large urbanized areas of collective residential buildings.

The finding within the announcement is that central heating in the final energy consumption is still very low compared to the available potential, and that with the increase in urbanization in Kosovo, the demand for heating the spaces of collective buildings also increases. Therefore, it is considered that carrying out the Feasibility Study and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment would help Kosovo to create the rehabilitation and improvement of the existing capacities of the central heating system in Mitrovica and the construction of new capacities in the regions of Prizren, Peja, Ferizaj and Gjilan, so that Kosovo is able to increase security of supply, energy efficiency, diversify energy sources, reduce air pollution and improve the quality of life, while the Government of Kosovo has identified the implementation of central heating energy systems as its national priority.

While weeks ago, the leaders of the Municipality of Prizren and the Office of the European Union in Kosovo agreed to analyze the possibilities for providing central heating to the residents of Prizren. The head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Tomáš Szunyog, after the meeting with the president Shaqir Totaj, announced that the EU will continue investments for improving the quality of the environment and clean energy. "We have invested 2 million euros in the feasibility study, how central heating can be provided in Prizren, and we await the results and the next decision on how to implement the recommendations of the study," he stated

The Mayor of the Municipality of Prizren, Shaqir Totaj, has affirmed that several development projects have been reviewed. "The issue of the possibility of building central heating for the Municipality of Prizren was mentioned, because we know that so far only Prishtina and Gjakova have such an opportunity, while in the future we will work seriously to examine the possibility that this project may implement itself in Prizren and this would prove to be a very big advantage for the citizens of the Municipality of Prizren", said Totaj.

The construction of the City Heater in cooperation with international institutions is also one of the priorities of the PDK's four-year governance (2021-2025), presented in the pre-electoral campaign.

Based on the results of the online survey conducted by EC Ma Ndryshe, the citizens of Prizren welcome the construction of the city's heating plant. Out of 133 people surveyed, the vast majority, namely 96.2%, emphasized that Prizren needs such a system. While 3 out of 4 respondents or 74.4% consider that such a heater would affect the reduction of expenses for households, taking into account the result that over 30% heat with electricity, over 35% with wood and electricity, over 17 % with pellets and 16.5% with wood, in which case over 44% of respondents spend between 600 and 1000 kWh per month, over 31% more than 1000 kWh, and 24% less than 600 kWh. The willingness to connect to the central heating system has been expressed by 94% of the respondents, while nearly 89% of them estimate that the heater would affect the reduction of environmental pollution.

The predictions are that the demand for energy in Kosovo will increase in line with economic development, while as a contracting party of the Energy Community Treaty it must implement the European directives regarding energy efficiency and renewable energy.

In this context, the researches of European organizations show that central heaters bring different benefits to cities, both in economic, environmental and social aspects, while the beneficiaries besides others are the municipalities and consumers. Meanwhile the environmental benefits include the reduction of carbon emissions, thus contributing to the EU's national and European carbon reduction targets as well as reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

What remains is that after the completion of the feasibility study, its findings and recommendations should be disclosed to the public, so that the planning process for central heating plants in the various cities of Kosovo is carried out respecting the principles of transparency and inclusiveness.