The administrator of the Albanian Power Corporation (KESH), Benet Beci, also the SP candidate for deputy in Shkodra, said that major investment projects are set to be implemented in the years to come.

“Two months ago I happened to meet engineer Tonin, who started his professional journey assembling turbines during the construction of the hydropower plant and now at about 70 years of age and a retiree he still helps us replace them. He was very delighted to close his professional journey with the replacement of turbines, a process that happens for the first time since the construction of HPPs. These are events that happen once in a lifetime. This is what we have done in these 8 years. We have invested about 200 million euros in technological renovations in energy production and at the discharge gates of the dams, the Vau i Dejes hydropower plant, the Drini cascade that today produce 70% of the country’s energy. Every hour that they do not produce or suffer breakdowns, the energy must be imported at high cost. “Investments have made it possible to guarantee cost-effective and clean energy production,” Beci said.

The head of KESH said that the Corporation is focused on new projects.

“Skavica is the most strategic investment that Albania is making in energy, it is a major investment which will increase energy production capacity on the cascade by 20%, an investment which will make a significant contribution to flooding prevention in the lowlands of Shkodra, investment that will establish Albania as an important player in the regional energy market, ” added Beci.

As part of the government’s strategy to diversify energy production, he stressed that we are also investing in solar energy.

“For the first time, the Corporation is turning its eyes on communities that have given energy to all of Albania for more than 4 decades. We are working in the field of environment, infrastructure, tourism development, and this season the construction of the Vau i Dejës road will start with the financial support of KESH -a long standing demand from the locals but also thousands of tourists who visit our Alps. This year we will start the construction of the sailing infrastructure in Vau i Dejës as well as in Koman, the Albanian museum of energy. The National Museum in Koman will turn the whole area into a new pole of tourism development,” he said.

According to Beci, the 3rd term is the opportunity for their implementation. Beci has described as one of the most difficult but also the most successful moments, the management of the Cascade and the extreme flows that occurred during January.

“I feel proud of what we managed to do with the annual inflows that recorded an all- time high since 1963, almost 2 (two) times more than in 2010. We have managed a quantity of historical inflows with extreme caution, with a high sensitivity towards the whole part of Nënshkodra.” We were in close contact day and night with every villager in Obot or Dajç to make sure that they are fully protected from flooding. Of course, there was some damage in terms of agriculture and livestock, but people were not evacuated in any case. This has been our goal during this time.”
Yet, he said, Skavica will be the remedy.
/sm/