Ruli: “One stop shop” will streamline energy information

TIRANA, May.30- The predictions of experts about an upcoming energy crisis during the cold season has prompted the Economy Ministry to begin proposing ways of heading off hardships. Minister Ruli has thought to extend the formula of “One stop shopping” to the energy sector to encourage efficiency in the electricity import sector. Ruli announced that the “one stop shop” will be the National Agency of Human Reserves, for all potential investments in the hydropower sector as well as the mineral industry and hydro-carbons. The agency will act primarily as an informational source about the potential of investment in Albania ‘s energy industry. The agency has expertise in the fields of feasibility studies, project assessment as well as a database of all national energy reserves. This initiative is expected to have an impact in the hydropower sector.
Albania is the second largest country, following Finland, with plentiful water reserves per capita, but they remain underused. The country needs serious investment in order to revamp local production capacities. Evaluations of local electricity consumption, and of its rate of increase, show that if, by 2011 the energy demand reaches 12 giga-watt/hour, production may remain at no higher than half of this demand. This bleak outlook has alarmed the administration, which is looking for new ways to increase local energy production capacities by granting concessions on small hydropower units.