Skip to main content

Lights Out

Thanks to Drita, obviously an avid reader of The Economist, for directing me to this article on Albania's energy problems following the closure of the two Bulgarian nuclear units. The article reports that:
Last month [sali Berisha] made a joint appeal with Sergey Stanishev, his Bulgarian counterpart, for units 3 and 4 at Kozloduy to stay open (units 1 and 2 are already closed; units 5 and 6 are more modern and safer). Bulgarians argue in Brussels that Balkan countries need as much energy as the region can produce if they are to grow faster.

Andris Piebalgs, the EU energy commissioner, is not convinced. On February 1st he told Mr Berisha that instead of teaming up with the Bulgarians to demand special treatment he should do more to sort things out at home. This was not quite the pre-election response Mr Berisha had been hoping for.

I hope Commissioner Piebalgs sticks to his his guns. While it is tough for ordinary Albanians who have to live without reliable power supplies, things will not change until Albanian politicians understand that the rules are not going to be bent to accommodate them.

The International Herald Tribune published an article yesterday reporting that a contract had finally been signed for the construction of a new power plant in Vlora. The plant is scheduled to be in operation by 2010 and should supply 15% of Albania's energy needs.

Comments

Anonymous said…
It's a shame. I wonder if we'll ever be able to get rid of these hardheaded mini-Enver Hoxhas, such as Sali Berisha and company. They have lowered the dignity of the country at the point of pettiness. They try hard to make it look like the people’s interests come first and above everything. In reality, hardworking people, obligated to suffer in silence, are the ones who pay for these monster called politicians, to continue their way toward, possibly, absolute power. In Sali Berisha’ eyes, the international community should obey to the “Lek Dukagjini’s law”. What an a..hole!
Anonymous said…
I'm sorry but i have to question where the fact was taken that this 100 MW/h plant would cover 15% of Albanias energy supplies. Abania needs a total of about 2400 MW/h currently. It only prroduces half of that. This means 1200 MW/h are imported. This plant which produces only 100 MW/h will not come anywhere close to meeting 15% of the demand.
olli said…
I assume it was in the press release that announced the contract. That was the number quoted in the AP report.
Anonymous said…
I see then. Somewhat surprising that the AP was able to get this wrong. Oh well. I also need to apologize. Reading back my post, the tone of my voice seemed rather unnecesary. Anyway if you wish to join us on a discussion about Albanias energy consumption and needs feel free to drop by at urbania21.com.
olli said…
Thanks. I do check on the site from time to time. Not sure I know enough about the subject to have anything to add.

Popular posts from this blog

Dy Rame Per Tirane

I was watching Top Channel last night, first the news, then Fiks Fare. According to them Tirana's citizens now have a choice not only between Rama and Olldashi, but also between Rama and Rama. A minor right-wing faction, Parti 'Balli Kombetar' , submitted papers to the election authorities registering their candidate, Akile Rama. The people on Fiks Fare got hold of the papers and sent a reporter and camera team to the address listed for Mr A Rama. After much ringing of the bell the gate was reluctantly opened by a middle-aged woman who refused to speak to the reporter and tried to close the gate on her. Back in the studio Saimiri and Doctori - the two presenters of Fiks Fare - revealed that Mr Akile Rama was 73 years old, in hospital, and did not know he was now a candidate for mayor. They also compared two documents - the papers submitted on his behalf, and a genuine document he had signed. The signatures were not even remotely similar. There was an interview with the lea

Albania and the Perils of the 21st Century

Another article on religion in Albania appeared yesterday. Patrick Poole, writing in the American Thinker , argues that Saudi funding for the construction of mosques and the training of imams is a threat to Albania, since these mosques and imams reflect the fundamentalist interpretation of Islam dominant in Saudi Arabia.

Guide Turistike

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council , the future is bright for Albania. The Council ranks Albania ninth out of 174 countries for tourism growth over the next ten years. A summary of the Council's report is available, as is the full report complete with many pages of graphs, charts and spreadsheets. This summer I have seen a number of tourists on the streets of Tirana. Some of them may well be Albanian expats, or people of Albanian descent returning home to visit family, but others are genuine 'foreigners'. Judging from their appearance, they are probably best described as 'independent travellers' - the kind of people who are not interested in luxury hotels or crowded beaches. This is a good start, but independent travellers are not the kind of big spenders that the tourist industry likes. In the longer term, if Albania wants to bring in the kind of free-spending tourists who currently holiday in Croatia or Slovenia, there will have to be a huge invest