TIRANA, March 23 – Heavy rainfall and a cut in grid losses considerably improved the domestic hydro-dependent electricity generation in 2015 which met 80 percent of the country’s needs, compared to only 60 percent in 2014, according to data published by the country’s state statistical institute, INSTAT.
The higher domestic generation allowed the country’s state-run power corporation to more than treble electricity exports to 956 GWH and considerably cut imports.
Losses in the dilapidated distribution network registered a sharp 21 percent decline following the late 2014 nationwide campaign to curb electricity thefts and collect accumulated unpaid bills. However, losses still remain high at about 30 percent of total electricity consumption compared to 35 percent in 2014 and a record high of 40.8 percent in 2012 just before Czech company CEZ had its Albanian distribution operator licence revoked in early 2013.
Private and concession hydropower plants accounted for 24.1 percent of domestic hydro-electricity generation in 2015, compared to about 28 percent in 2014.
The Albanian government has revised down electricity prices set for private and concession hydropower plants for the third year in a row in a situation which the HPP owners says risks taking them to bankruptcy.
Billed electricity consumption by both household and business consumers rose by only 1.2 percent in 2015, reflecting higher electricity prices, the cut in power thefts and sluggish consumption and investments.
Back in 2014, electricity consumption in 2014 rose by 10 percent for both household and non-household consumers.
