Bulgaria's Cut Export Triggers Energy Crisis in Albania
Business | January 10, 2007, WednesdayThe Albanian power corporation announced it is urgently looking to increase imports of electricity to avoid a shutdown of its main hydropower stations.
The country is gasping to meet energy demands suffering from lack of rain and buing no more electricity from Bulgaria after the closure of nukes 3 and 4.
Andi Beli, head of the state-owned Albanian Electro-Energy Corporation, or KESH, said the lack of rain had dried up lakes at hydropower plants in the north, and the shutdown of imports from Bulgaria has caused a serious electricity crisis in the Balkan country.
The country's daily electricity consumption has been nearly double the 8-10 million kWh it is able to produce.
Beli said the only "way out was to increase imports" and they were looking to buy 9 million kWh from neighboring Greece.
KESH has imposed up to 12-hour daily power cuts throughout the country due to difficulties in importing and domestic production.
Hospitals, government institutions, water supply, bakeries and police were being given priority in power supply, though such institutions are also suffering from shutdowns.
Many energy experts and former senior officials in the sector have called on the government to declare a state of emergency and ask for international help to provide energy to the country.
Since 1990, the former communist nation has suffered regular electricity troubles due to poor management, an outdated distribution system and lack of money because of unpaid bills.
The country is gasping to meet energy demands suffering from lack of rain and buing no more electricity from Bulgaria after the closure of nukes 3 and 4.
Andi Beli, head of the state-owned Albanian Electro-Energy Corporation, or KESH, said the lack of rain had dried up lakes at hydropower plants in the north, and the shutdown of imports from Bulgaria has caused a serious electricity crisis in the Balkan country.
The country's daily electricity consumption has been nearly double the 8-10 million kWh it is able to produce.
Beli said the only "way out was to increase imports" and they were looking to buy 9 million kWh from neighboring Greece.
KESH has imposed up to 12-hour daily power cuts throughout the country due to difficulties in importing and domestic production.
Hospitals, government institutions, water supply, bakeries and police were being given priority in power supply, though such institutions are also suffering from shutdowns.
Many energy experts and former senior officials in the sector have called on the government to declare a state of emergency and ask for international help to provide energy to the country.
Since 1990, the former communist nation has suffered regular electricity troubles due to poor management, an outdated distribution system and lack of money because of unpaid bills.
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