KESH says water reserves sufficient to endure summer season

TIRANA, June 4 – Albania’s power corporation, KESH, says that water reserves in the country’s artificial lakes accounting for 98 percent of domestically produced electricity are enough to last through the summer season. KESH’s Director General, Engjell Zeqaj, says water levels in the northern cascade of the Drin River are at optimal levels. He says that KESH will also import electricity to fulfill the country’s needs.
The state-owned utility secured electricity worth 3.35 million Euros from imports for April 2011, registering the first purchase procedure for this year.
Commenting on the recent government decision to sell four small and medium sized hydropower plants, Zeqaj said the measure would assist with the market liberalization and have no negative effects– considering that they produce only 5.5 percent of the country’s hydropower.
A few days ago, the bill paving the way for the privatization of the four hydropower plants was turned into law receiving 73 votes of the ruling majority.
The hydropower plants (HPP), which the government intends to sell, include the Ulez and Shkopet HPPs on the River Mat, in northern Albania, and two small HPPs on the Bistrica River, in southern Albania. The four HPPs are reported to have an installed power of 77 Megawatts, accounting for 5.3 percent of hydroelectricity produced by KESH.