Energy crisis does not subside: Extra Imports to save Fierza

TIRANA, January 22 – Andi Beli, head of the country’s power utility KESH declared that the situation at the Fierza Lake is almost desperate. In the weekend, waters at Fierze lake were eight meters above the minimum needed for power generation. The depletion of scarce water reserves used for power generation is going on and Albania has raised daily power imports to the maximum of 10.7 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) to the maximum that its electricity grid allows to bring in. Increased imports are targeted at lowering domestic production and will enable KESH to keep enough water at the lake of Fierze, where the largest electricity generating unit in the country is located, until the rainy season. KESH has started importing 10.7 million kWh as of Saturday, up from 8.2 million kWh five days earlier. Daily domestic production was lowered to 6 million kWh from some 10 million kWh previously. Due to increased imports the fall of the water level has slowed to 20 centimeters a day from 30-35 centimeters previously. The news comes as no good omen to Albanian consumers whose power shortages will continue as before. Beli has made it clear that no alleviation of cuts is predicted due to the fact that if Fierza stops the country risks collapse.