MFK and South Mitrovica sign MoU on Apartment Building Retrofitting
The Millennium Foundation Kosovo (MFK) and the Municipality of South Mitrovica signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster cooperation on the implementation of the Subsidies Energy Efficiency Retrofits (SEEK/AER) Program in multi-family apartment buildings in South Mitrovica.
Through this AER Intervention, MFK will invest over 20 million euros in retrofitting approximately 700 apartment units in seven different municipalities and 2800 households throughout Kosovo while investing in energy efficiency measures, thereby reducing the consumption of electricity for heating as well as increasing consumer awareness of energy-saving measures and their long-lasting benefits. Municipalities participating in this program were chosen by the World Bank.
The MoU aims to reinforce collaboration which will facilitate successful implementation of the AER project activities and support MFK’s continuous efforts to improve electricity supply by promoting energy saving measures. In addition, the MOU demonstrates the stakeholder commitment to strengthening organizational structures, focusing efforts on providing incentives for improving energy efficiency measures, and reducing the electricity demand and related costs in the residential sector.
Petrit Selimi, MFK’s CEO, has thanked Mayor Bahtiri for his close cooperation and has stated that MFK, with the support of MCC, is looking forward to test solutions to help manage the energy demand of Kosovar households and municipalities as other institutions are working in parallel to manage the supply through new sources of energy.
Sarah Olmstead, MCC Country Director, pointed out “MCC is so excited to reaffirm the partnership between MFK and the Municipality of South Mitrovica. As the snow falls outside, this is a particularly appropriate time to be witnessing this agreement. I expect this program to provide a lot of learning about the scale of investments that can provide good returns on investment in apartment buildings and help residents feel more comfortable in their own homes.”
The Mayor, Agim Bahtiri, expressed his gratitude over MCC’s investment which, according to him, will significantly improve the lives of the citizens in the municipality. “This MoU is of great importance as it directly contributes to the quality of life of our citizens, and the Municipality of South Mitrovica is committed to support any project with such a cause”, he added.
In late 2020, MFK signed an agreement with the Municipality of Lipjan, and under the Subsidies for Energy Efficiency Kosovo (SEEK) project, MFK will sign Memorandums of Understanding with five other municipalities in Kosovo, including Prishtina, Gjakova, Vitia, Gracanica and Novo Berde, aiming to reduce energy consumption through energy efficiency subsidies and other incentives.
SEEK is an activity valued at over 20 million euro, and is part of “Reliable Energy Landscape Project” (RELP), supported by Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and implemented by MFK. Its overarching objective is to reduce the gap between energy demand and supply through three main intervention packages: Household Efficiency Retrofits (HER); Apartment Building Efficiency Retrofits (AER), and Women Energy Entrepreneur Program(WEE).
