Kosovo is supporting Albania to overcome energy crisis

Prishtinë, Nov 9, 2005 – Kosovo’s Energetic Corporation (KEK) is providing Albania’s Energetic Cooperation (KESH) 80-100 MW/h of electricity to overcome the deep energetic crisis, KEK officials told KosovaLive on Tuesday.

A KEK spokesperson told KosovaLive that KEK is supplying Albania with power mainly during the night hours.

Albania is facing a deep energetic crisis because of the low level of water at the Fierza Lake, which may result with stopping of work in generation of electricity at the Hydro Power Plants.The supply of electricity in urban areas is being cut off from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm. In rural areas, the cutoff starts an hour earlier, at 6:30 am. Electricity outages are alternated every two hours after 4:00 pm. In some places, Albanians could face as many as 18 hours daily without electricity.

Built during the communist regime, the hydroelectric plants were never adapted to handle increased consumption. Rising prices and the fact that some 30 per cent of consumers do not pay their bills have added to the problems.

Albania imports almost 5m kW of electricity a year from Macedonia and Greece, but the amount is nowhere near sufficient. The country is negotiating with other countries, including Ukraine.

ECIKS