TIRANA, June 28 /ATA/ – Albanian state oil company Albpetrol has reacted to concerns over oil pollution in the Vjosa River, saying the contamination stems from legacy waste at a decades-old oil field and pledging to accelerate cleanup efforts.
Albpetrol issued a statement on Saturday after Ulrich Eichelmann, CEO of environmental NGO Riverwatch, posted a video on social media recently showing oil residues in the river near the Gorisht-Kocul oil field in southern Albania.
The state oil company said the field, in operation for over 60 years, had accumulated waste during earlier decades when environmental standards were less stringent. The company emphasized that no new polluting activities are currently taking place in the area.
“The company is fully committed to rehabilitating the section of the river affected by the oil-bearing zone, within technical and financial capacities, and in the shortest time possible,” Albpetrol said in its statement.
It added that the pollution is more visible during periods of high temperatures, as residual oil is mobilized from older waste deposits.
Albpetrol noted it has prioritized environmental protection in recent years, in line with government policy and national strategies, and is gradually reducing inherited waste volumes through officially approved remediation plans.
The Vjosa River, often described as Europe’s last wild river, was declared a National Park (Category II) in 2023. The designation extends full protection to the river and its tributaries from source to sea, under both national and transboundary conservation frameworks.
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