Nuclear reactor to be built in Albania?

TIRANA, April 14 – Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha’s idea of building a nuclear reactor in the country may likely get another important step, signing a deal with Croatia.
Neighboring Montenegro’s media reported this week that the prime ministers of Albania and Croatia, Sali Berisha and Ivo Sanader respectively, might strike a deal for joint construction of a nuclear power plant near Shkodra in the vicinity of the Albanian border with Montenegro by the end of the month.
It was reported that the construction could cost over four billion Euros with a capacity of 1.500 megawatts. Croatia’s power company HEH (Hrvastka Elektroprivreda Hrvatskoj) will be in charge of the construction and the bulk of the produced energy will go to Croatia.
“We are very interested in the project and invite Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro to participate in discussions on the possible establishment of a nuclear power plant in Albania,” said Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader.
Authorities in Podgorica announced that they hadn’t received an invitation to take part in the construction of the power plant on the shore of Shkodra Lake, which is mainly situated in the territory of Montenegro.
Its Tourism and Environment Ministry noted that Montenegro has adopted a law banning construction of nuclear facilities in 1995.
With respect to the law, Montenegro hopes that no international conventions will be breached, under which the country planning to build a facility that might affect the environment beyond its borders, should provide backing from all potentially endangered states for the construction.
Deputy Minister of Environment Sinisa Stankovic has warned the authorities in Tirana that “Albania risks the neighborly relations with Montenegro,” if it decides without prior permission to build a nuclear plant on that location.
Naturally Tirana will have to complete all required steps to reach a final decision.
It has to receive consent of the main nuclear authority based in Vienna and its neighboring countries will also be asked. Concern has also been raised from southern neighbor, Greece.
Albania has signed billion-dollar deals to build gas or coal power plants. But getting into the nuclear field will naturally ask for many requirements to be fulfilled.