The Constitutional Court examines the issue of the Skavica hydropower plant on Wednesday

2024-01-09 18:18:00, Aktualitet CNA

The Constitutional Court examines the issue of the Skavica hydropower plant on

Illustrative photo

In Tirana, the Constitutional Court is expected to hold another court session tomorrow, requested by three organizations for the repeal of the law and the government decision, which pave the way for the construction of a hydropower plant on the Black Drin in Skavica.

Representatives of these organizations claim that these two acts contradict the Constitution, as well as cause great damage to the economy and environment of Dibra.

They emphasized that this dam floods at least 30 villages and leaves thousands of residents homeless, to whom no transparency is being made.

Government representatives, on the other hand, have described the Skavica hydropower plant as the most important project in the energy sector.

The Association "For the Protection of the Properties and the Environment of the Black Drin Basin", the Association "Opposition to the Skavica Dam" and the Albanian Committee of Helsinki have asked the Constitutional Court in May of this year to abolish as incompatible with the Constitution and the Agreement Stabilization Association, the law of March 23, 2021 on "determining the special procedure for negotiation and execution of the contract with Bechtel International Inc., for the design and construction of the Skavica hydropower plant.

They also requested the annulment of the VKM of July 30 of the same year "For the approval of the first phase contract for technical services - Skavica hydropower project between KESH and Bechtel Limited".

A month after the request of the three organizations, the Constitutional Court dismissed in June a part of the request, to suspend the implementation of the two acts, while continuing the trial on the request to abolish them.

Activists believe that the project is not subject to the international agreements signed by Albania and fundamentally avoids competition and transparency, says Ferzileta Gjika, representative of one of the associations that appealed to the Constitutional Court, "Opposition to the Skavica Dam"

"The law and the VKM are unconstitutional, because they violate several national and international laws on the right to free competition. No other private company was invited to participate in this competition, but it was awarded to the Bechtel company without a tender. The law in the parliament was passed by skipping some procedures without considering, making a quick approval of the law", said Mrs. Gjika.

Government representatives have asserted that "Skavica hydropower plant ensures the country's complete energy independence" and maximizes production in the cascade of hydropower plants over the Drin river.

The government describes the Skavica hydropower plant as "the most important and strategic project for the Albanian energy sector, which it is ready to make a reality", as well as "with direct gains in energy, employment, tourism and the national economy".

It has commissioned the American company Bechtel to carry out studies and proposals for the dam. The contract for the first phase of the project was signed with this company in July 2021, while in September of the following year the company had a report on field studies ready.

But the representatives of the organizations claim that the residents of the province are worried about the flooding and displacement of at least 30 villages and the isolation of many others, the disappearance of agriculture and livestock, plants and wild animals on the surface of several tens of square kilometers.

While the activists believe that the construction of another hydropower plant would deepen the dependence of Albania's energy system on rainfall and water.

"The residents have the human right to life, but they have not been asked at all about what is happening. For them, no public consultations were held, they did not participate in decision-making and they were not considered as the main party in decision-making issues related to the Skavica hydropower plant. The works have continued in the first phase with geological scientific research in the country, while the people are kept uninformed and in the dark, so to speak, without knowing what is happening with their lives", said Mrs. Gjika.

According to unofficial data, the dam can go over 440 meters high at a cost of over 500 million euros.

The Albanian Electric Power Corporation (KESH) in its publications says that it is carrying out a feasibility study with the Bechtel company for the construction of the Skavica HPP, and further a preliminary design, as well as an assessment of the project's costs, in order to ensure additional supply with electricity, the management of the Drin cascade is improved and floods from seasonal rainfall are reduced.

Among the public publications of KESH is the Environmental Impact Assessment of this project.

Three hydropower plants, VaDeja, Komani, and Fierza, have been built on the Drin river so far, while the project for Skavica aims at an upper control dam for the maintenance of the entire cascade.

But the activists point out that the construction of Skavica is very expensive for the state and the Albanian citizens, that it is not necessary, that as much as this HPP is expected to produce, Albania can produce it with wind and solar plants, which are cost-effective and lower damages and reducing dependence on water and avoiding irreversible damage from the flooding of a wide territory in Dibër./ VOA