The first day of the new 2022 for almost 60 thousand Skopje residents might be very cold. The users of central heating of the company BEG (Balkan Energy Group) from January 1 might be left without heating because the required amount of gas has not been procured for next year. As things stand at the moment, less than 48 hours before the end of the year, natural gas for the needs of consumers in Skopje has not been procured, writes Deutsche Welle.

The alternative options are for the procurement to go through BEG, but then to charge the central heating to the customers at much higher prices, or for the Government to subsidize the procurement with at least 13 million euros and not to increase the price. BEG announced that they will answer the questions of DW on this topic during the day. The Government says that the negotiations are ongoing.

The expectations were that “Makpetrol” will procure the necessary quantities of gas for next year in agreement with the Russian “Gazprom”, after the BEG complained that they do not have money for procurement. On Wednesday, “Makpetrol” boasted that an agreement had been reached with the Russian energy giant, at a price 30% lower than the stock exchange price, but said that the agreed quota did not include BEG.

As DW writes, in the past years, the procurement of gas for BEG went through its owner – AD TE-TO whose power plant produces heat for Skopje and most of the country, and the company also appears as a gas trader. According to the latest information, “Makpetrol” today re-entered into negotiations with Gazprom to provide additional quantities for the needs of BEG,