As Europe begins its difficult transition to renewable energy, Albania, which generates almost 100% of its electricity from hydropower, is also facing its own problems. The communities affected by the construction of hydropower dams are fighting back and are winning.
In less than six months, the Albanian court has criticized the interruption of three hydropower projects in the country. Every time there is pressure from citizens, they say that these projects will destroy their culture, livelihoods and local environment.
“Stopping HPP operations is critical to protecting and maintaining the natural flow of rivers and preventing potentially catastrophic impacts on habitats and flora and fauna,” said Catherine Bohne, Director of TOKA. Valbona in northern Albania.
“The battle is far from over,” she added, saying that they will continue to fight with all necessary legal means.
Albania’s dependence on hydropower
Albania’s dependence on hydropower began with its nearly 50-year communist rule as part of the dictator Enver Hoxha’s promotion of energy self-sufficiency.
Today, almost all energy in the country is produced through hydroelectric power generation. But because electricity cannot be stored, excess products are sold during peak production periods (spring and summer), which means that fossil fuel energy must be purchased at high prices in winter.
In addition, climate changes in the region have led to warnings that hydropower is not sustainable in the medium and long term. Less snow, less rain, and longer, warmer summers mean that there is less water in Albanian rivers.
Already, electricity production Range between It is estimated that by 2050, from 6,000 GWh to less than 3,000 GWh, climate change may be further reduced by as much as 20%.
Last year, the International Renewable Energy Agency reported on Albania that hydropower was not enough to ensure the country’s energy security and warned that the situation could deteriorate further. On the contrary, because Albania enjoys the highest sunshine hours in the region, IEA chooses wind and solar power as the preferred methods of power generation.
Despite this, the government is still advancing hydropower projects, including many national parks and protected areas. It currently has about 170 dams and more than 300 factories in various stages of completion.
The situation in Valbona
A landmark case is the Valbona River in Tropoje, one of the most impoverished areas in Europe in the northernmost part of Albania. Many residents have moved abroad, while those who stayed make a living from agriculture and tourism.
A local company called Genr 2 won a national concession to build a hydroelectric power station along the river. In the process Fall into the quagmire of suspected corruption. Local residents testified in court that the names of deceased relatives were used in documents claiming to support the project. Others discovered that their names were being used without their permission.
TOKA has filed many lawsuits against the companies involved for lack of proper environmental impact assessment, threats to opponents, and the fact that such construction should not be carried out in national parks.
In July, the Albanian High Court ruled that the operations of the two factories in the area must be suspended. The local bailiffs ensured on November 8. Neither factory is in operation.
But Bohne warned that the battle is not over yet, because remotely operated factories can go online with the flick of a switch. In this case, she said that she is ready to initiate criminal proceedings against these factories. The company involved.
Zarjokay National Park
In the same week that the HPP in Valbona came to a standstill, the Tirana Court of Appeal upheld the revocation of the permit to construct the HPP in the northern Zall-Gjocaj reserve.
Residents have Have been protesting For several years, they opposed the proposed factories, claiming that their livelihoods, homes and agricultural activities were threatened, and insisted that the area including parts of Lura Mali e Dejes National Park must remain intact.
Residents also filed complaints against companies and government officials to the Special Anti-Corruption Court on the grounds of abuse of power, forgery of documents and construction in protected areas. The case is currently ongoing.
Vijossa National Park
One of the most famous anti-HPP campaigns is the Vjosa National Park in central Albania. Several HPPs were planned along its length, which aroused the anger of environmental activists, who described the stream as the last unpolluted river in Europe.
In addition to dozens of power plants, Shell has been exploring for oil along its shores, and another part plans to build airports and luxury hotels. This caused a strong reaction from local and international NGOs, including the international brand Patagonia and the movie star Leonardo DiCaprio.
From Sydney to Paris, pictures of white sheets spelling “Vjosa National Park now” have appeared all over the world. DiCaprio has publicly called for stopping HPP on the river many times.
Activists called for the entire 272-kilometer-long Vjosa River to be built into a national park. This will prevent any HPP from being built there and bring ample tourism opportunities.
The government has designated parts of the river as “protected areas.” but Reality This is because the airport and luxury hotel contracts are already under negotiation, and a multi-million-euro contract was signed with Shell in 2018, so this still allows development.
Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert told EURACTIV partner Exit News that hydropower is an outdated technology and should not be considered a renewable energy source.
“Hydropower is the only renewable energy source that causes species extinction, human displacement, and climate change. This is not a renewable energy source. This is an outdated concept. Albania should seek suitable renewable energy sources… I encourage the government to consider what they can use. Other technologies,” he said.
Currently, Vjosa is safe because the locals have won a court case demanding that the construction of the Kalivac dam, which is operating on a tributary of Vjosa, be stopped.
Olsi Nika, a biologist at EcoAlbania, said that the court’s decision “represents another message to [Albanian] The government must abandon the construction of hydroelectric power plants once and for all, and declare the Vijosa Valley as a national park as soon as possible.”
A wider picture
But resistance to hydropower in other parts of the region is also increasing. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, a group of local women prevented the construction of plants on the Kruscica River. In Kosovo, the Supreme Court closed three HPPs operated by the Austrian company Kelag, pending the final decision of the court on the environmental risk assessment.
In Europe, the global conservation organization WWF is launching a campaign to stop public subsidies for hydropower projects, saying that dams have reduced freshwater biodiversity by 80% and migratory fish populations by 55%, and warnedmore than the 8,000 hydroelectric power plants Yes Plan on the entire continent.
It also called for funds to be used for “low-cost, low-carbon, low-impact alternatives” such as wind and solar.
At the same time, the EU delegation in Albania told Exit.al that environmental standards must be respected when proposing new hydropower projects.
“Hydropower investment should strictly abide by national and international environmental, nature protection and water resources management obligations” and “include high-quality assessments of cumulative impacts on nature and biodiversity,” the EU delegation stated.
[Edited by Frédéric Simon]
