Minister Gjiknuri presents in the commission the draft law on energy exchange

Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Damian Gjiknuri presented the draft law “On some additions and amendments to law no. 43/2015 “On the Electricity Sector”. In his speech to deputies in the commission, Minister Gjiknuri said that the interventions in the law make possible the advancement of a project that has already begun, related to the establishment of a liberalized electricity market, a process that the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy considered it to be difficult and it would take time.

“Today, Albania has a small liberalized market. So about 10% of energy is sold freely. We are doing our next steps by making the necessary investments in order to increase the number of customers and practically with the applicable law it should be a part of the 35 kilovolt customers that should emerge in the liberalized market. Some of them have had difficulties and we have to say that because they find no suppliers or have difficulty in making this immediate overcoming from a regulated market in the liberalized market and there are also the relevant legal provisions, amongst others there has also been a proposal to sanction some transitional elements in the draft law in question, but that also serves what will be called market creation. We must have a further liberalization of the energy market, “said the minister.

Gjiknuri said that the purpose of this draft law is to authorize the Council of Ministers to take some steps to concretize the creation of this entity to be called stock.

“It will be a company that will also cooperate with private companies that have experience in the field of electricity market management and today in Europe there are no more than two companies. Therefore, the goal is that all these assets in Albania come from the point of view of generation and generation of electricity and then in a liberalized market, all energy additions will be thrown into this platform and this will be like the market of the majority where every energy user will go and take the goods there. So, this will be the stock either day or in advance for getting electricity, “said Gjiknuri.

Further, the minister stated that the Transmission System Operator is authorized to have the right to make partnership with a company according to the rules established by the Council of Ministers to create this particular entity, where the state will have a decisive role to supervise it.

OST as the owner of the entire transmission network will address not only the energy flows that are produced in the Republic of Albania, but also those that will come from imports or that will be exported in the future.

In conclusion, Gjiknuri said that the draft law also reflected the recommendations of the Energy Community Secretariat. He stressed that any procedure for forming a partnership would be transparent, will be part of the rules that will be set by the Council of Ministers, while adding that the possible amendments that may be submitted by MPs will also be considered, including the problem of the transitional period for energy users who will be supplied in a liberalized market.