TIRANA, Albania — Albania's government approved a new hydroelectric plant project and an undersea grid connection with Italy on Wednesday, in deals worth 1.3 billion euros ($1.9 billion) and aimed at addressing acute power shortages in this tiny Balkan country.
Italy's Tassara-Geotecna Progetti-Kinglor, or TGK, was awarded a concession to build a 550 megawatt hydropower station costing around 600 million euros ($875 million) in Skavica on the Drini River, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) northeast of the capital, Tirana.
The government also approved building an undersea power connection with Italy. The 700 million euro ($1 billion) deal was awarded to ASG Power SA as part of a related 2.5 billion euro ($3.6 billion) project to build a power plant and a re-gasification terminal at Seman, 100 kilometers (62 miles) southwest of Tirana.
Further details about the two projects, including completion dates, were not immediately available.
Post-communist Albania has suffered frequent power cuts because of a lack of rain for existing hydroelectric stations, an outdated distribution system and outstanding consumer bills.
This year, Albania was affected by daily power cuts of up to eight hours in Tirana and longer elsewhere. (Chron)
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