Second Environmental Performance Review of Albania

130 Part III: Integration of environmental concerns into economic sectors and promotion of sustainable developmentbe a clean source of energy because they do notgenerate emissions or waste materials. However,hydropower does have environmental impacts sincethe construction of dams and creation of artificialwater reservoirs behind them affect a river’secosystem and habitats.Consideration of environmental impacts caused byHPPs should begin with a review of possible changesto a river’s ecosystem. Because there are manyhydroelectric projects in Albania, understanding suchecosystems and habitat issues is vitally important.Specific ecosystem impacts caused by a particularHPP largely depend on the following variables: 1)water volume and water flow rate of the river wherethe HPP is located, 2) the climatic and habitatconditions that exist, 3) the type, size, design andoperation of the HPP, and 4) whether cumulativeimpacts occur because the HPP is located upstreamor downstream of other projects. While the first twovariables relate to nature and depend on geological,geographical and weather conditions, the last twodepend on human activities. The fourth variable isespecially critical for Albania because of the cascadeof three HPPs on the Drini River.The formation of big water reservoirs can slow thewater flow rate and increase water surfacetemperature because slower water absorbs more heatfrom the sun. It causes a more pronouncedstratification effect – coldest water at the bottom andwarmest on the surface. If the water released forpower generation purposes is coming from thebottom, where it is colder and consequently has lessoxygen, it affects the river’s ecosystem and habitatsdownstream.Another problem is related to nitrogen dissolved inwater. A stream falling over a dam and hitting thepool below creates turbulence, which easesdissolution of nitrogen from the air. The nitrogenconcentration in water increases significantly and canreside in water for a long time. If fish swim fromhigh nitrogen content water to normal waters, theymay die.Water released for power generation is not stable; itdepends on seasonal and daily peak demands.Usually, such peaks are in winter and in the evening.Different rates of water flow from reservoirs candamage soil and vegetation in riparian areas.A dam, as an artificial wall, causes sedimentation –deposit of fine organic and inorganic materials thatare typically suspended in the water. After sufficienttime, sediments reach the level where they support anexpansion of living organisms fed by nutrients fromthese sediments. Since these organisms use oxygen,their growth depletes the supply of oxygen in thereservoir. At the same time, fewer sediments andhence fewer organic and inorganic nutrients areprovided to downstream habitats.While all these factors could impact on theenvironment, they can vary greatly from project toproject. For each HPP the impact should be carefullyexamined. Such examination should identify whichplants, fish and wildlife are affected. Some speciesmay end up doing quite well, while others maysharply or completely decline and some will beminimally affected.While the impact of any dam depends on varioustechnical and natural factors, it can be significantlyreduced by technological and operationalenhancements of the HPP. Such enhancements mayinclude installing a fish passage, minimum flowturbines, re-regulating weirs and pulsed operation atpeak efficiency. There is also a variety of techniquesavailable for moving non-contaminated sedimentdownstream.While MoEFWA is generally responsible for themonitoring and inspection of energy sector activities,it does not have any responsibility for the waterquality of HPP reservoirs, and does not have anycontrol over operational issues, including waterrelease.Thermal power plant impactThe Vlora TPP was commissioned in 2011. Acomprehensive environmental and social impactassessment was carried out for the project and anenvironmental management plan prepared through abroad range of consultations with representativesfrom national and local government agencies,universities, business, NGOs, media and the generalpublic.It is well known that TPPs will generate pollution.However, according to the World Bank, the EIA ofthe Vlora project demonstrated that there would belimited environmental impact and, furthermore, thatappropriate mitigation and monitoring measures havebeen included in the environmental managementplan. The Vlora TPP will use distillate fuel oil in acombustion turbine. The combustion will generatesulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbonmonoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM) smaller than10 microns, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and volatileorganic compounds (VOCs). While the EIA presentsmitigation measures to help minimize the