June 4 (SeeNews) - Albania's power utility KESH said on Monday it will import 107,280 megawatthours (MWh) of electricity worth 6.8 million euro ($9.2 million) this month to cover the deficit in the energy-starved country.
KESH said in a statement that it will buy the electricity from five foreign firms selected during negotiations held on May 22. The power utility had sent requests to 20 companies to place their offers.
Albania will buy a total 39,600 MWh of power from Swiss power group EGL in two lots worth 2.5 million euro. Serbina Rudnap will supply to KESH overall 54,720 MWh, in three lots, worth 3.5 million euro. KESH will buy the remaining 12,960 MWh from Czech Ezpada, Swiss Atel and German PCC.
The companies started supplying the power on June 1, KESH said.
KESH imports electricity to cover domestic consumption and save water for the dry summer season at its largest reservoir at Fierze. Albania's electricity generation relies mostly on the country's hydropower potential.
The power utility provided no figures on the country's estimated power consumption and domestic production for June. In May, power usage was estimated at 14.97 million kWh and domestic output - at 6.64 million kWh per day.
Extreme drought, lack of proper investments in outdated power plants and inadequate management as well as the December 31 closure of two reactors at Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear plant, from which the country was buying cheap electricity, caused drastic power cuts in Albania in the winter.
KESH (www.kesh.com.al) has spent more than 150 million euro to import electricity to cover domestic demand since the beginning of December, according to Albanian media reports. KESH has issued no figures for the cost of imports.
($ = 0.7414 euro)