TIRANA, Sept. 13 – The award of a 35-year hydropower plant concession contract on the Shala River at a protected area in one of northern Albania’s virgin areas and emerging mountain tourism destinations has sparked concern by environmentalists and local government authorities over alleged non-transparent procedures.
The Shkodra municipality covering the affected area at the Theth national park has warned of undertaking legal action to oppose a project which it says damages local tourism development and the ecosystem in a protected area under a project allegedly given the green light without taking into account the local government and community’s opinion.
The reaction comes after the Public Procurement Agency announced this week an Ireland-based consortium composed of companies based in Turkey, Ireland and the UAE, has been announced the winner of a 35-year build-operate-transfer concession on three hydropower plants at the Shala River for a total investment of €84.5 mln and a concession fee of 2 percent of expected electricity generation. The consortium was the sole bidder in the tender held last July.
In a letter to Prime Minister Edi Rama and new tourism and environment minister Blendi Klosi, the Shkodra Municipality says it is concerned over the legal steps followed in the award of concession, the lack of a feasibility study on public interest and environmental impact and the violation of international conventions on protected areas.
“The Shkodra Municipality and the community it represents have been excluded from the right to information, and participation in decision-making also recognized by the Aarhus convention ratified by Albania in 2000. The municipality has never been handed such [feasibility] study or asked an opinion on the study conducted, if such study exists,” says opposition Democratic Party proposed Shkodra Mayor Voltana Ademi.
“The environmental study, as part of the feasibility study should have taken into account that the Theth area in Shala, where the contract has been awarded is a protected area as a national park. As such the study should have taken into account public interest expressed and approved by the local community, the impact on the environment and its protection etc.,” she adds, concerned over the negative impact on the integrity of the protected area.
Local environmentalist and Shkodra municipal councilor Mark Rupa, also a resident of Shala valley, earlier called on Shkodra representative at the Albanian Parliament and the Mayor of Shkodra “to get the necessary information and watch developments regarding this contract signed by the Albanian government.”
Contract negotiations on the new Shala River HPP must conclude in 60 days, the energy ministry says.
“An area that was discovered as huge potential for tourism development, and came to light for its high values of biodiversity and landscape. As everything beautiful in this country, it certainly has to be attacked and destroyed,” Rupa wrote on social media.
In a reaction after the announcement of the winner, the energy ministry said the Shala HPP concession project is an old project dating back to 2009 under the previous Democratic Party-led government that initially envisaged the construction of six HPPs. The ministry says the concession project was revised to three HPPs with installed capacity of 83.45 MW and an average electricity generation of 321.5 MWh/year. The HPPs, whose construction is worth €84.5 million, are expected to be built in three years.
The Shala HPPs are one of the many controversial projects that are being implemented on the Vjosa and Valbona rovers, knows as some of Europe’s last wild rivers. The HPP projects have drawn international support from environmentalists around Europe and some of them are also being challenged to court, although the chances of being canceled are relatively small due to the huge amounts the Albanian government would have to pay in damages to concessionaires for unilaterally cancelling the contracts.
More than a hundred hydropower plants, mainly small and medium-sized ones have been built in Albania during the past decade to increase domestic electricity production, which is currently wholly-hydro-dependent, making it vulnerable to adverse weather conditions such as this summer’s prolonged drought almost paralyzing HPPs.
Shala River Valley
Unexplored nature, azure waterways and many opportunities for adventure have recently turned the Shala River valley into one of the tourist hotspots in the Albanian Alps.
In a recent video documentary, the Balkanvibe portal described Shala as a superb choice for a weekend discovering wild nature in the Albanian Alps. The destination is reached in 2-hour drive from Tirana, then two more hours by boat on Komani Lake, and finally a short walk along the river.
“It’s a new destination, frequented for a short period of time. The water is like crystal, nature is wonderful. Everybody should visit it, at least once,” says Albanian guide Edmond Kocli.
Shala River in Komani Lake, northern Albania, is one of the most attractive destinations for Albanian adventurers. Its sky-blue water rattles through the high valley offering a wonderful panorama of Albanian landscape.
Nature lovers can explore the area by boat, hike the surrounding peaks for a spectacular view and swim in the Shala River’s fresh water.
Albanian travel agencies offer only one-day trips in the Shala Valley because of the limited capacity of locals to accommodate and serve a larger number of visitors, the documentary originally produced by Reporter.al says.
Shala valley is also a great destination for camping.
The destination also boasts historical legends such as Lek Dukagjini, the founder of Albania’s Kanun customary code that ruled life in much of Albania from the late Middle Ages to present-day mountain areas where blood-feud revenge killings are still present.
