Italy grants Albania 16.5 mln euros to empower energy system

The Albanian ministry of energy and industry and the Italian government represented by the Italian ambassador to Tirana Massimo Gaiani signed on Thursday a 16.5 million euro (about 18.2 million U.S. dollars) agreement on behalf of a "Memorandum of Cooperation" for the energy sector.

The grant comes as the last part of this memorandum reached between the two governments last year. The agreement was signed by Albanian minister of energy and industry Damian Gjiknuri and the Italian ambassador to Tirana, Massimo Gaiani while present in the ceremony were also the chairmen of Albanian Transmission System Operator (OST) and Albanian Operator of Electricity Distribution (OSHEE).

This grant will be invested in the transmission and distribution system of the electrical energy while it aims the increase of efficiency in this sector and conclusion within the deadline of the new dispatcher center of OST.

The Albanian minister of energy and industry stressed the importance of the support from the Italian government in the implementation of several projects in the electrical energy sector in the country.

"We will invest in Himara and Saranda cities in the transmission and distribution systems, in order to improve the network in these touristic areas," the minister was quoted by Albanian daily news as saying.

On his part, Gaiani declared that "With this grant we enclose projects which we started several years ago, at a total worth of 93 million euros."

This grant will empower the energy potential in Albanian southern areas and will expand the data control system in all substations 110 KV.

"These two projects will make the electrical energy system more reliable and integrated with the European one," the Italian ambassador said.

He added that this financing represents the completion of the technical aspects for the projects that will be realized by Italian embassy, ministry of energy and industry, OST and OSHEE. (1 euro = 1.10 U.S. dollars) Endit