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Floating power plants in the Bay of Vlora, DW: Will the environmental damage be irreversible?

2022-10-02 10:00:22Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Floating power plants in the Bay of Vlora, DW: Will the environmental damage be

Two floating power plants, which have already dropped their anchors in the Bay of Vlora, in the Ionian Sea, will start producing on January 1, 2023, 15 percent of the annual amount of energy needed by the economy and households in Albania. According to local experts, the energy produced by the two floating power plants, leased for 2 years by the American company "Excelerate Energy," will have a cost three times lower than the same amount imported.

The war in Ukraine, the energy crisis caused by Russia's drastic reduction in the supply of natural gas to Europe, the forecasts for a winter with little rain and snow, the stratospheric increase in the price of energy in the European and world markets are clear signals also for Albania that portend unusual power supply difficulties. In this context, the Rama government decided at the beginning of this month to increase the price of electricity for family consumers for the last three months of this year: starting this Saturday, (01.10) they will pay 4, 5 times more for 1 KW/hour if they consume more than 800 KW/hour per month. But on Friday (30.

Arbër Avrami, Executive Director of AIbgaz, tells DW that "with the two floating power plants, Albania has made it possible to provide a very valuable solution in facing the immediate challenges that the energy crisis has produced. With a capacity of 110 MW/hour and the potential to produce no less than 867 GW per year, these floating terminals offer a good opportunity to meet the global energy crisis that is expected to worsen during the coming winter."


Germany and floating power plants

According to official sources from the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the number of ships - floating thermal power plants - is limited at the global level. The American company "Excelerate Energy" has only 10 such, two of which are the ones that have arrived in the Gulf of Vlora. In the conditions of the global energy crisis, the demand for floating power plants is increasing.

"Even developed countries like Germany are considering these floating energy-generating ships as a means of overcoming the emergency problem as well as a convenient way to balance the energy shortage from Germany's voluntary withdrawal from the use of nuclear energy. Germany is looking at floating power plants as a preferable alternative, efficient in time, flexible in terms of geographical deployment where they are needed most and with a reduced environmental risk", says Arbër Avrami to DW.


Environmental impact within international standards

The production of electricity from the two floating thermal power plants after three months is "in accordance with local legislation, international environmental protection standards and has also received the relevant environmental certificate", explains Arbër Avrami to DW. "Platforms will develop their activity in an area destined for industrial use. They are inside the Triport industrial complex in Vlora, where the Vlora Thermal Power Plant is located, the Petrolifera hydrocarbon processing area as well as other activities of a similar nature", he emphasizes.

Regarding the fuel that will be used by the floating thermal power plants for the production of electricity "they will be those that meet the world standard and are used in floating vehicles and industrial activities, with gas emissions according to the allowed domestic and international norms for industrial emissions", says Arbër Avrami . "The technology that will be used in these plants guarantees that the environmental impact remains in accordance with the international manuals of the World Bank, the agreements to which Albania is a part, the rules for environmental permits in the Republic of Albania," he emphasizes to DW.

Environmentalists: winter in the dark or safe environment?

But environmentalists and environmental organizations think otherwise. The risk of a lack of energy and a winter in the dark have divided their opinions regarding the consequences of environmental pollution and those on the flora and fauna of the Ionian Sea, in the Gulf of Vlora, from the production of energy by two floating thermal power plants using a type of oil. Environmentalist Xhemal Mato tells DW that "in the conditions of a lack of electricity and a dark winter, the benefit of producing electricity from the two floating power plants is greater than the damage to the environment, which I think will not be irreversible and very heavy.”

But the environmental organization "Alliance for the protection of the Bay of Vlora" and another group of environmentalists together with citizens of Vlora have protested against the placement in Vlora of two ships that are expected to produce electricity. Environmentalist Sazan Guri tells DW that the use of oil as a fuel will cause great damage "because it does not happen on land, which has generating capabilities, but in the sea, which does not have these capabilities, which risks causing great damage." environmental." "Floating power plants have no cooling. The water that will come out of them will be over 40-45 degrees, which means that the fauna and flora in the sea will be destroyed because it cannot withstand this temperature. Pollution of sea water and air will cause great environmental damage", says environmentalist Sazan Guri.

Gas infrastructure under development

The opposition of the environmentalist movement to the location of floating power plants and their temporary operation with oil, it seems, cannot give immediate results. "For now, it is not possible to use natural gas as a fuel to produce electricity and have lower emissions of harmful gases than hydrocarbons. In Albania, the gas infrastructure is under development and limited only to the TAP pipeline that takes gas to Italy", says Arbër Avrami, the Executive Director of Albgaz, to DW.

However, steps forward are being made. "In cooperation with the strategic partners of the American companies, "Excelerate Energy" and "Exxon Mobil", the infrastructure of a new terminal for the floating port of liquefied gas (LNG) in the port of Vlora and transmission of LNG to the TEC- existing in Vlora. Afterwards, through the Fier-Vlora pipeline, the connection with the TAP gas pipeline will be made," Arbër Avrami emphasizes for DW. When the gas supply through this terminal begins, the floating power plants will be converted to use natural gas as a fuel feedstock to generate electricity.

Regional projects for energy security

Ambicia e Shqipërisë për t’u shndërruar në një nyje rajonale energjetike synon të realizohet  brenda dy viteve kur të përfundojë ndërtimi i terminalit të lundrueshëm në portin e Vlorës, i cili  „do të garantojë jo vetëm plotësimin e nevojave të brendshme por do të shndërrojë Shqipërinë edhe në një kontributor të sigurisë energjitike në Ballkan dhe në Europën Jug-Perëndimore,” thotë Arbër Avrami. „Shqipëria po negocion me Maqedoninë e Veriut dhe Kosovën që të bëjë të mundur një integrim më të gjerë infrastrukturor të rajonit për sigurinë energjitike. Ajo do të  kontribuojë jo vetëm nëpërmjet përshpejtimit të ndërlidhjes nëpërmjet TAP dhe gazit natyror por edhe kontributit me energji elektrike nga vënia në funksionim e TEC-it të Vlorës dhe ndërtimit të Hidrocentralit të Skavicës”, thekson Avrami.

Another project of regional importance is the construction of the Ionian-Adriatic pipeline that will connect Croatia's existing gas transmission system with the TAP gas pipeline through Montenegro, Albania and in close cooperation with Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The transformation of Albania into a regional energy center has brought increasing interest of regional partners to cooperate, based on mutual interests for the diversification of energy sources and the reduction of dependence in the region on Russian gas. An encouraging example is the cooperation between Albania and the American-Bulgarian company, Overgas, leader in Bulgaria in the gas sector. This company signed in Tirana in January of this year a Memorandum of Understanding with the Albanian state company Albgas regarding the cooperation of the two parties for the realization of projects that diversify the supply of natural gas in the Western Balkans (BP) and in Europe. This includes the supply of the Overgas company with Liquid Gas (LNG) in the port of Vlora and the construction of the navigable terminal in the port of Vlora. 


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