Difficult autumn expected for power supply, KESH head says

TIRANA, May 23 – Gjergj Bojaxhi, head of the Albanian Electro-Energy Corporation, or KESH, said the country could face a difficult autumn for power supply despite improvements noticed recently.
Bojaxhi said that the general hydroelectric situation was not good and power prices in the region did not make him optimistic. “The corporation cannot complete this year (with enough electricity to meet) the Albanian consumers’ demand, even with the import that has been increased significantly,” he said in an informal meeting with journalists. Following summer, daily power cuts will resume in autumn for about four hours or more a day. Albania receives almost all its power production from hydroelectric power stations, mainly built in the northern Drini River.
However, the plants have suffered continuously in the last two years from the lack of rain. Consumers’ payments are another big obstacle, together with losses in the distribution network.
Bojaxhi said that the KESH had lost some $10 million from non-payment since 1991.
Bojaxhi said that KESH would impose harsh fines on those consumers who did not pay or stole energy. The fines would go from 1,000 to 200,000 leks. The International Monetary Fund has said that power could be a main obstacle affecting the country’s economy this year. (Tirana Times Staff)