TIRANA, July 24 – The whole of Albania was left without power Tuesday afternoon due to a defect in a transmission line importing power from neighboring Macedonia, the Energy Minister said.
Genc Ruli said on public television TVSH that there was a total blackout at 4 p.m. (1400 GMT) adding that electric power workers were working rapidly to first supply electricity to capital Tirana.
This month, Albania has been in a continuous power crisis due to difficulties in importing electricity and domestic production problems.
The country’s domestic power production is based on hydropower stations that have suffered from a lack of rain for about 40 days, and it also has limited importing capacities.
Albania imports 5-6 million kwh per day and produces 5-6 million kwh per day, a level that has resulted in power outages for up to 15 hours daily.
Post-communist Albania has suffered regular electricity troubles due to poor management, an outdated distribution system and a lack of money for the electric utility due to unpaid bills.
Ironically, the same day as the country-wide backout, Ruli held a conference presenting the government’s strategy for a non-stop power supply.
Unlike pledges from his Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, for continuous electricity until the end this year, Ruli said that the country could have non-stop power supply only by 2020 if some $1.6 billion dollars were invested for new sources of production.
The new resources will be 60 percent thermal and only 40 percent hydroelectric.
Currently, Albania’s resources are 98 percent hydroelectric.
the KESH will privatize its distribution department, hopefully this year.
