Fresh water will be sent to UAE countries in exchange for gas

TIRANA, Nov 4؁lbania could finally export fresh water to countries in the Persian Gulf by using the same ship-tanks that will bring gas to the small Balkan country. The project was presented by Agim Gjinali, head of ASG POWER SA, an international consortium currently building a power plant and associated degasification terminal in southwestern Albania. The group is made up of AET, a Swiss public utility and undisclosed European and U.S. investors.
The ASG project was revealed during the 2nd international conference on foreign direct investments in Albania.
“All that rain falling in Albania is wasted in the Adriatic,” Gjinali said. There will be 150 ship-tanks per year that will ship gas to Albania toward the ASG degasification terminal. Those same ships can carry fresh water on their way back, hence increasing the efficiency of the whole project. Arab countries already use a technology to turn sea water into drinking water, but the quality is low and costs are high.
The Albanian government is closely involved in the project, after negotiating with Qatar on several economic, trade, and technical agreements this last spring. In addition, the government is a partner of ASG regarding the consortium’s decision making and their projects in Albania.
“I personally negotiated with Qatar authorities to secure the gas supply contracts,” Premier Berisha said during the conference.
The ASG energy complex is being built in the Fieri district, 100 km southwest of the capital Tirana. It consists of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) degasification plant with an annual capacity of 10 billion cubic meters as well as a combined cycle power station of 1200 MW.
It will provide Albania with all of its power as well as supply gas and power through international connections to the European grid which will transform Albania into one of the biggest producers and exporters of gas and power in Europe. Nevertheless, Albania will have the right to purchase gas and power at below market rates in order to meet its domestic energy needs. The country, for that matter, is expected to use 2 billion cubic meters of gas for the power plant and other industry while the remaining 8 billion cubic meters of gas will be transported via an undersea gas transmission pipeline to Italy.
The cost of the ASG energy complex, which should be completed by the end 2009, has been estimated at $1.9 billion. A significant portion of the project, in excess of $600 million has been financed by the US Import Export Bank (EXIMBANK).