A fire caused by an electrical fault broke out at Kosovo B power station outside Pristina Saturday, knocking out just under 25 percent of the province's electricity supply, UN police sources said.
The blaze broke out in a heater at Kosovo B Unit 1 at Obilic, about 10 kilometers (six miles) northwest of Pristina, at around 3:00 PM (1400 GMT).
It cast a pall of smoke over the Kosovo capital and surrounding area before it was extinguished by firefighters from the UN police and the KFOR international peacekeeping force.
No injuries were reported but the blaze took out 150 megawatts of supply, making electricity rationing likely in the Pristina area, with two-hour cuts expected every four hours.
Kosovo's winter power demand is estimated at 620 megawatts, of which 300 megawatts are imported from Bulgaria, and a further 50 from Montenegro, said Sylvana Nzirorera of the UN Mission to Kosovo (UNMIK).
One unit at Kosovo A power station provides 110 megawatts, and unit 2 at Kosovo B, where repairs are being carried out by the Franco-British consortium, is expected to come on line in the next few days to make up the shortfall.
A fire last winter at Kosovo B caused the total shutdown of the plant, causing major disruption to electricity and water supplies -- PRISTINA (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
