Electricity imports temporarily suspended

TIRANA, May 21 – Albania’s power corporation KESH has temporarily suspended electricity imports after recent rainfall increasing water levels in the country’s biggest hydropower plants in northern Albania.
“The improvement of the hydro situation in recent days has enabled the cancellation of electricity imports for the May 21 to 31 period,” said the state-run power corporation, adding that it was not exporting or exchanging electricity with Kosovo or any other country.
Water levels at the country’s biggest Fierza hydropower plant has increased to 290.5 metres, only 6 metres below the peak level.
The improving hydro situation in Albania’s northern Drin cascade where the country’s biggest hydropower plants are situated has considerably eased government’s burden on electricity imports ahead of summer.
The Albanian government had previous announced it is working to arrange the import of electricity worth up to 90 million euros due to the critical situation in hydropower plants until a couple of months ago because of lack of rainfall.
The Albanian government has recently approved around 82 million Euros in loan guarantees for KESH power corporation for electricity purchases due to the drought period until early January 2014.
Albania’s deputy Prime Minister Niko Peleshi, who heads a nationwide task force targeting to reduce grid losses and thefts, said Albania is estimated to have lost around 200 million dollars in 2013 from power losses which rose to 43 percent. The losses which are a result of massive power thefts and dilapidated distribution system are equal to 70 percent of electricity generation from the Drin cascade in northern Albania, where the biggest hydropower plants are situated.