Albania's Banja hydropower plant starts work

The hydropower plant (HPP) of Banja, the biggest power work ever built in Albania since Koman HPP which was set to operation three decades ago, officially started work on Friday, Albanian prime minister's press office announced.

This hydro power plant in Albania is an investment of the Norwegian company Statkraft which, apart from HPP construction, has also invested in infrastructure and improvement of living standards for Banja community.

Banja HPP, located in the city of Gramsh, central Albania, is part of "Devolli Hydropower" project, which also includes the construction of Moglica HPP.

Sources from Statkraft said Friday that Banja HPP is expected to increase Albania's domestic generation of energy from HPPs by at least 5 percent.

The process of construction has taken more than three years while the project which will be fully completed by 2019 is worth over 530 million euros and will create thousands of jobs for the locals, government sources said.

An inauguration ceremony was held Friday to switch on the new HPP of Banja.

Present at the ceremony was also the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama who considered the launch of operation of the new HPP of Banja a historical moment for entire zone of Gramshi and its residents but also for the country.

According to the premier, this moment is the result of an exemplary cooperation between Albanian government and one of the world's most prestigious companies in the energy sector development. 

Source : XINHUA