Kosovo’s Energy Import Debate Intensifies: Transparency, Politics, and the Serbian Power Controversy

 Kosovo enters the winter season with high levels of electricity imports, and the political debate around the origin of this energy has become one of the most heated topics in the country. The central question is simple: Is Kosovo importing electricity from Serbia, or are imports limited to friendly regional states? That question has turned into a fierce political clash between the government and the opposition, especially as the cost of electricity imports reaches tens of millions of euros.

Chart of countries from which Kosovo imports energy, Albania in first place followed by Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Denmark and Serbia

The government insists that claims of large-scale imports from Serbia are misleading. According to ruling party figures, electricity imported from Serbia in 2024 accounted for less than 1 percent of the total and had no meaningful impact on national supply. The opposition, however, argues that not only is the government avoiding transparency, but that companies involved in imports have benefited massively, allegedly due to political ties.

Former MP of Vetëvendosje, Armend Muja, publicly rejected accusations that Kosovo imported significant electricity from Serbia on November 28. He emphasized that imports from Serbia are negligible, well below 1 percent, and that most electricity arrives from Slovenia, Albania, North Macedonia, and Denmark. Muja said the opposition is recycling an old narrative designed to damage the government and create the false impression of dependence on Serbia.

According to Muja, the debate has also been distorted by claims regarding the company NOA Energy. He explained that no Vetëvendosje officials have had links to this company and that NOA entered Kosovo in 2017 through KOSTT, long before VV was in power. He highlighted several key contracts signed between NOA, KOSTT, and KEK, including the 2018 and 2019 agreements signed by officials who did not belong to Vetëvendosje. Muja stressed that the purpose of these contracts was to cover energy losses in the four northern municipalities.

Muja estimated that the total value of these contracts approaches 400 million euros and that the ultimate beneficiary was Vuk Hamoviq, a major figure in the Balkan energy market through his company EFT.

Energy expert and LDK candidate Janina Ymeri strongly disagreed with Muja’s statements. She argued that Muja openly acknowledged that Kosovo does import some electricity from Serbia. Furthermore, she accused Vetëvendosje officials of shifting the blame onto KESCO and KEK to avoid accountability. Ymeri stressed that KOSTT is informed of all imports and exports and that ZRrE monitors the entire sector, meaning the government cannot shift responsibility away from itself.

Energy analyst and European integration expert Shenoll Muharremi recently published the official numbers for Kosovo’s 2024 energy imports. According to him, Kosovo spent 142 million euros on electricity purchases that year. Albania accounted for roughly 57.5 percent of all imports, totaling over 82 million euros. North Macedonia supplied about 36.7 percent, worth more than 52 million euros. Montenegro, Slovenia, Denmark, and Serbia supplied the rest in much smaller amounts. The value of imports from Serbia was only 163,439 euros, confirming the government’s claim of a very small share.

Despite this low percentage, the political dispute remains intense, mainly due to concerns about the companies involved. Opposition parties have focused heavily on Vuk Hamoviq, the owner of EFT, who has long been one of the major energy suppliers in the Balkans. For years, accusations have circulated that Vetëvendosje imported energy through NOA Energy, a company with indirect links to EFT.

In 2024, around 90 percent of all imported electricity reached Kosovo through Noa Energy Trade, an Albanian company that entered Kosovo’s market aggressively after obtaining its license in 2022. Out of 68.9 million euros in imports by KESCO in 2024, more than 62 million euros came through Noa Energy Trade, which supplied over 345,000 megawatt hours in that year alone.

Official data show that Noa Energy Trade operated with virtually no competition in the Kosovo market. Other licensed importers, such as GEN, Danske Commodities, Future, and MCM, participated but handled significantly smaller import volumes. GEN imported 6.2 million euros worth of electricity, while Danske Commodities imported just over 566,000 euros. Future and MCM together imported slightly above 50,000 euros.

KESCO, the main supplier of electricity for consumers in Kosovo, purchases imported power from internationally registered trading companies with licenses from ZRrE. A total of 19 companies are licensed to trade electricity in Kosovo, but the dominance of Noa Energy in 2024 sparked new questions regarding competition, pricing, and transparency.

The political battle over electricity imports is unlikely to end soon. Even though the data confirms that imports from Serbia are minimal, the struggle between government and opposition increasingly centers on transparency, procurement processes, and the influence of powerful regional energy suppliers.

As Kosovo continues to rely heavily on imports during peak consumption periods, the need for clear communication, accountability, and long-term energy strategy becomes more urgent. The controversy highlights a deeper issue: Kosovo’s energy security remains vulnerable, and without structural reforms, the debate over imports will continue to dominate national politics in the years ahead.