By: VJOLLCA KONGJONI*
TIRANA – The Ministry of Energy officially announces the winner of the concession for the construction of the Poçem hydroelectric power plant on the Vjosa River. The Turkish company “Çinar-San Turizm” will be the ones who will use the Poçem dam for 35 years to produce energy. In the public procurement notice, the ministry informs the legal representative of this company, Yűksel Çinar, that the request for the concession of the “Poçem” hydroelectric power plant has been accepted.

The Turkish company, a merger between the two companies “Çinar San Turizm” and “Ayen Enerji”, according to the Ministry of Energy, was the only participant in the tender. In July last year, these two companies were awarded an 8 percent bonus by the government as the proposers of the unsolicited concession.

The government's decision to grant a concession for the construction of the Poçem dam was opposed by environmental associations in the country. But the European Parliament, in its resolution on Albania adopted in mid-April, has also recommended that the government review plans for the construction of hydroelectric power plants in the Vjosa River and consider its creation as a National Park.

During the local election campaign, Prime Minister Rama promised the residents of the area that he would transform the Vjosa Valley into a national park. But according to the agreement with the winning company, the construction of the dam on Pocem will be completed within 36 months after receiving the permit. The estimated investment is worth over 100 million euros and the new hydroelectric power plant is expected to produce 305 million kilowatt hours of energy per year. The Pocem hydroelectric power plant is the second one being built on the Vjosa River after the Kalivaç hydroelectric power plant.
(er.nu/news24/BalkanWeb)