In energy crisis: Albania halts import, uses reserve

Today, a megavat hours of energy in a normal period costs 564 euros and amounts to 616 euros in peak hours of consumption.

Prices offered by operators for KESH were around 500 euros/megawatt hours value. This would cost the corporation a 30m-euro bill only for 6 days in August.

Currently, the entire country's supply is being made through the production of the Drini's Kaskada and private hydropower plants in Albania.

Contacted by Euronews Albania, KESH officials said hydric reserves in Fierza are being used, while it is thought that imports will return in September, the period when a normalisation of stock prices is expected, while in the autumn the forecasts are for abundant amounts of rainfall.

Fierza's level has dropped to 277m, falling below the historical average of the period. Just over the summer months, the hydric reserve has been halved, while Fierza has fallen 20 metres, even though KESH has wanted to keep its amount intact in this basin.

Albania is helping with its production as well as Kosovo. The 3-day two-hour power supply of Kosovo is made by Albania, under an exchange agreement our country has with KEK.

Drought has lowered energy in Europe produced by the water and speed of wind plants, while part of the nuclear plants in France have been shut down as there are reduced amounts of water used for cooling them.

This week, the Albanian government has also launched a campaign calling on citizens for electricity savings.