TIRANA, June 4 – Prime Minister Edi Rama has announced the construction of the Hydro power plant of Skavica, which is to be fully funded by the government. Located near along the Drini River, the Skavica hydro power plant would hold about 7 billion cubic meters of water, making it the largest reservoir in Europe.
“We brought Skavica back on the table and in 2017 at the Trieste summit, it was approved as one of the priority projects of the Berlin process. We positioned ourselves to prioritize this path by guaranteeing not only its funding but also its quality,” Rama said. The government has opened a tender for the construction of Skavica several times in the past, but has failed to finalize a contract.
The installed power of the plant is expected to reach 210 MW.
According to KESH, Skavica Hydro power Plant completes the Drin River Cascade, creates the possibility of conserving water reserves, eventually ending massive energy losses, which result in chronic flooding, and turning the export or import of energy to an activity where the sale and purchase is dictated only by the interest of the state, not solely the weather.
There are two forms of the project, one worth 308 million euros and the other 510 million euros. The project will be initiated and built by KESH.
The construction of hydro power plants in Albania has been strongly opposed in the past, with many residents protesting against them. One of the most prominent cases is that of the Valbona hydro power plants, for which citizens insisted that it was destroying the habitat natural values and potential for tourism.
