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Albanian NGO protests against Italian energy projects
Tirana, Dec. 2, 2008 (AENews) – Albanian NGO “Mjaft Movement” protested on Tuesday against Italian plans to build coal fired thermal power plants and wind farms on Albanian soil. Comparing today’s visit of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi with Italy’s invasion of Albania in 1939, protesters shouted “Albania is not for Sale”.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is expected to sign energy projects, including what is billed as Europe’s largest wind farm. Two energy projects – a €1bn contract for Italy’s Falcione Group to build a re-gasification plant near Fier in southern Albania and an undersea gas pipeline to Italy; and a €1.15bn deal for Moncada, a Sicilian construction company, for a wind farm on the Karaburun peninsula and a power cable across the Adriatic Sea to Italy.
According to Italian experts, Italy want to bypass Kyoto agreement by building coal fired thermal plants in the Balkans. A investigation conducted by Balkan Insight, found that Albania have much to loose and nothing to earn by Wind Farm. “Albania’s government risks wrecking one of Europe’s last unspoiled environments – and breaking its own laws – by allowing an Italian company, acting through an Albanian subsidiary, to build a wind farm on a coastal nature reserve and on part of a national park”, – Balkan Insight investigation found. If the project goes on, electricity produced in Albania will be used entirely in Italy.
