Kosovo is ready to join Albania’s power trading platform Alpex this month once regulators in both countries agree on a launch date, the head of Alpex in Kosovo said.

“We are confident that the beginning of the operationalisation of the power bourse will be in January of this year,” Shkumbin Hysa told Montel in a written interview.

Hysa said that the final green light on the launch date will be given by Albania and Kosovo’s governments and their energy regulators.

He added that Alpex has already chosen ProCreditBank as the settlement bank in the role of the general clearing member.

Alpex, which is jointly owned by Albanian and Kosovar TSOs, Ost and Kostt, began day-ahead trading in April 2023, but only for the Albanian market. Both countries have designated Alpex as the nominated electricity market operator for their respective bidding zones.

Kostt, Kosovar utility Kek, supplier Kesco, and other producers and traders have already joined Alpex, and will be ready to trade power once the bourse is launched in Kosovo.

In November, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo and EU member Greece signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at coupling their day-ahead power markets.