Rainfall improves hydro situation in Drin cascade

TIRANA, April 24 – Rainfall during the past two weeks has considerably improved the situation in the country’s northern Drin cascade where the three major hydropower plants are situated. Data by KESH, the state-owned power corporation managing these HPPs, show water flows have considerably increased in all Fierza, Koman and Vau i Dejes reservoirs. All three HPPs were reaching their minimal water levels until one month ago, forcing KESH and distribution operator CEZ Shperndarje to make huge imports at very high tariffs to meet the country’s needs.
Currently, water inflows at the Fierza HPP, the country’s biggest, are being preserved for summer considering that the lake is still meters below its maximum 295 meter level.
KESH says domestic production has increased to 14 mln kWh/day while daily imports have been cut to 7 mln kWh.
With its coffers empty, state-owned power utility KESH has been facing ongoing difficulty to make electricity imports to guarantee uninterrupted electricity supply. Last December, government authorized KESH to borrow 4.5 billion lek (around Euro 32 mln) for electricity imports, and later awarded the company 2 billion lek (Euro 14 mln) from its contingency funds to handle imports for February and March as an emergency situation caused by heavy snowfall was created in the country’s northern and southeastern areas.