Albania with a nuclear power reactor?

TIRANA, Oct. 11 – Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha said last week at a meeting he had in Durres city hall that there have been offers from the world to build nuclear reactors in the country, in Durres because of the economic profit they would have.
The statement sparked an interesting debate in the country and also created a big surprise.
Is Albania capable of accepting a nuclear reactor? Does the world consider safety when building it? Is the proper staff to work there available in this country? Would it be profitable in the country? Where the money would come from? Will it be a cause of concern for the environment, or for the country’s security?
It is not that easy to answer those questions. Or to be frank, taking into consideration the existing situation in the country, the answers could be pessimistic.
Or is it a political statement at this time when the country is suffering heavily from the lack of power supply?
Would common Albanians agree to have a nuclear reactor? One may ironically say, who’s going to ask them?
Zana Guxholi, economic counselor to Berisha, said that there has been more than one offer for a nuclear reactor. She mentioned the French company Suez making the offer, and added some American and Asian companies as well.
But Guxholi added, and that may be a good answer to all those questions, that though the offer was concrete that still remained only an idea and has not turned into an offer with concrete terms.
Such a project would ask for a great human and financial capital and security for the high-level technology applied would also be a matter to be seriously discussed.
The country does not have the legislation, which one may say that may be done abruptly, as there has been often the case with this country. Albania does have a nuclear institute just taking care to check the levels and also to help hospitals use some appliance that have nuclear energy or that have been donated by the world institutions.
Besides a nuclear reactor should be a big one that would not only produce for the country but also to import its energy.
It would then be a question that is very hard to get the proper, or sincere answer from anyone. Why are they choosing Albania for such a nuclear reactor? Wouldn’t it be proper to build it somewhere in eastern European countries that have previously had and are capable of working with and securing it, very likely much better than in this country?
Whatever the answer is, for the moment we may say that still remain purely a hypothesis.