TIRANA, Dec. 23 – While the country continues suffering from a serious power crisis with long hours of power cuts each day, government authorities seem to be committed to evaluating alternate means of producing energy besides the country’s hydropower plants, which produce 95 percent of Albania’s energy.
Such plants have been operating below normal levels during the last two years as a result of a long draught and their output cannot keep up with the increasing energy demand in post-communist Albania.
Before the fall of communism in 1990 the country produced enough electricity to support itself and also export energy.
But the change of the regime and the consequent higher standard of living has increased four-fold the demand for electricity to 6,800 GWh, though its production has fallen to around 4,000 GWh.
The fall has been caused from less rain as well as old technology used by the plants, poor management and also a lack of collection of money owed by consumers.
Power cuts have been up to 17 hours a day and the situation deteriorates each winter.
The energy crisis has caused the government to welcome any project that contributes to the diversification of energy resources.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha recently went further, saying that his government would be prepared to turn the country into a power producer through the use of nuclear reactors and said he would welcome any offer.
This announcement was not welcomed by Greece, though Italy indicated it would be ready to support Berisha.
The European Union also would not support such an initiative, due to problems with crime and corruption in Albania.
Albania also does not currently have nuclear capabilities or qualified staff to manage such a program.
There have also been other proposals on renewable energy sources.
An Italian company, Italgest, proposed building a large wind power plant near Kryevidhi, 50 km from Tirana, with a capacity of 150 MW with an investment of 200 million euro.
Another suggestion by Naanovo proposed building a solar energy project near Durres.
