Coal news and updates

Kosovo's power utility donates coal to its workers for heating

In August Kosovo became the first country in Europe to introduce power cuts following insufficient domestic power production and government hesitation to buy expensive power in open market. At the open lignite mine, few kilometres from the capital Pristina, KEK workers rushed to check if their names are on the list and when the coal will be delivered as the noise from huge machines extracting the coal drowns out their loud complaints about why the process was taking so much time.

Kosovo's government has ordered power utility KEK to give tens of thousands of tonnes of coal to its workers to heat their homes as the country braces itself for more power cuts during winter months.

Some 3,600 workers will each get a truck of coal, around 10 tonnes, starting from this week. In August Kosovo became the first country in Europe to introduce power cuts following insufficient domestic power production and government hesitation to buy expensive power in open market.

At the open lignite mine, few kilometres from the capital Pristina, KEK workers rushed to check if their names are on the list and when the coal will be delivered as the noise from huge machines extracting the coal drowns out their loud complaints about why the process was taking so much time. "This is a just and smart decision because workers are tired of these staggering price increases," said Qamil Pllana, who arrived at the mine to see when the coal will reach his home.