The objective of the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project is to support Kosovo’s energy security and transition to a cleaner energy future through usage of energy storage systems for reserves, availability of the storage systems, and reduced cost of securing adequate electricity for Kosovo. BESS will provide flexibility necessary for Kosovo to enable integration of renewable energy sources. The Energy Storage Project consists of three activities: Frequency Restoration Response Activity, Multi-Functional Energy Storage Activity (“MFES Activity”), and Energy and Climate Policy Support Activity.
The Frequency Restoration Response Activity aims to support KOSTT to own and operate approximately 45 megawatts (MW) (or 90 MWh) of energy reserves to cost-effectively smooth out imbalances in the electricity grid, ensuring the security of the interconnected power system while enabling the integration of electricity generated from renewable energy sources.
The Multi-Functional Energy Storage Activity (“MFES Activity”) aims to support a public entity to own and operate approximately 125 MW (or 250MWh) of one or more BESS and other potential electricity storage systems. The new public entity will be designed to enable frequency restoration reserves, energy arbitrage, or other potential energy storage services. Multi-Functional Energy Storage Entity (MFES) with its battery energy storage capability will enable integration of renewable energy into Kosovo’s energy system and improve security of supply.
The Energy and Climate Policy Support Activity aims to support technical and administrative capacity building for Kosovo’s energy and climate regulators along with policy and institutional reforms (PIR) required to ensure the operating environment for energy storage in Kosovo. This Activity also incorporates cross-cutting measures to promote female employment and entrepreneurship as well as the PIR around pro-poor and gender-inclusive planning in the energy sector. This Activity includes three Sub-Activities.
This Sub-Activity aims to provide technical assistance to the Government to undertake reforms in the power sector focused on developing Kosovo’s electricity market and prepare legislation and regulation in compliance with necessary European Union (EU) and local regulations and laws to regulate the BESS.
Inclusion Focused Technical Assistance Sub-Activity
(a) This Sub-Activity aims to provide technical assistance to undertake pro-poor and gender-inclusive infrastructure and policy planning and identify opportunities for female entrepreneurship and employment to complement the Energy Storage Project.
Environmental Regulatory Management Sub-Activity
(b) This Sub-Activity aims to strengthen the current greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory by expanding into additional sectors and aligning with international standards in order to form the basis for carbon pricing and other climate policy instruments.
Kosovo currently lacks workers with technical skills needed to meet current and future demand from employers in the energy and adjacent sectors.
To create a more sustainable and inclusive energy sector, while also complementing and supporting the sustainability of the Energy Storage Project, the JETA Project aims to address an existing education and training system unable to respond to the current or future skill gaps in the energy sector and women’s low level of participation in this comparatively high- paying sector.
The JETA Project is designed to address these issues and is comprised of two Activities: (1) the Energy Skills for the Future Activity and (2) the Inclusive Energy Sector Workforce Activity.
The project consists of the following two activities:
1. Energy Skills for the Future Activity will facilitate the Government’s energy transition by establishing new technical training programs and/or building upon existing technical training programs to provide the skills demanded by employers in the energy and adjacent sectors. The new training programs model will be developed in consultation and in partnership with energy sector employers shall deliver pre-employment training as well as training for staff already employed and will be focused on the post-secondary, pre-university level (levels IV and V of the European Union qualifications framework), with a special emphasis on encouraging women to join the program. The training programs, amongst others, aim to provide skills development related to energy storage systems design and development; battery component and digital control systems; thermal systems analysis; electronic systems analysis; development, operations, and maintenance of renewables; energy efficiency auditing; environmental and social assessment; and utility operations.
2. The Inclusive Energy Sector Workforce Activity aims to improve the energy working environment for women to enable them to enter and succeed in the sector. This activity will promote gender-equitable practices among energy sector employers, provide technical assistance and grants to help increase female representation in energy companies in Kosovo and support networking, mentoring, and other educational and learning opportunities for women.
The Inclusive Energy Sector Workforce Activity includes the following sub-activities :
a. Best Companies for Women Award - will promote workplace diversity and inclusion and introduce an award for the “Best Companies for Women” targeted at the energy sector and complementary sectors.
b. Women in Energy Grant - will establish a grants program to support employers in the energy sector and encourage them to undertake workplace changes intended to foster a more inclusive environment for female employment, retention, and advancement. iii. Strengthening Pathways for Women in Energy - will encourage more women to study and undertake careers in the energy and adjacent sectors, including through specific educational pathways. Aims to create a supportive learning environment for professional development through mentoring, training, learning events, a visible space, and outreach activities to engage women to enter the energy and adjacent sectors and link them with job opportunities.
The American Catalyst Facility for Development Project (ACFD) aims to promote additional private-sector investments in Kosovo’s energy sector in collaboration with the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) by complementing MCC’s funding and leveraging private sector participation to scale a successful energy storage public entity launch and catalyzing complementary renewable energy investments that bolster renewable energy generation capacity.
