TIRANA, July 2 – The National Council of Water convened last weekend to decide on the use of the Devoll River to build three hydropower stations there.
Albania has been suffering from power cuts as it cannot produce the entire amount of power needed by consumers.
Albania’s power production comes from hydroelectric plants, mainly from those built on Drini River in the north.
However, these plants have not been able to produce sufficient power due to the continuous lack of rain as well as poor management and a lack of collecting bills owed by consumers.
The last power producing plant built in the country was twenty years ago.
Authorities decided to build on Devoll after the Austrian company, EVN, presented projects for the three new plants which would produce up to 400 mWh.
They will be built along a series of tunnels that may be up to 50 kilometers long. The cost of the plants is expected to run from 700 million to one billion Euros.
The government said it will soon launch an international tender for them.
Authorities said that a new thermo power plant in Vlora has already started construction. The government has also approved a new hydropower station in Kalivac that is to produce 100 mWh and has also launched the tender for the Fieri thermo power plant.
