A European Laboratory to combat oil quality manipulation and speculation

Albanian consumers of fuel will be able to use only products whose quality and standards have been controlled. The Central Technical Inspectorate enables this through a modern and contemporary laboratory of fuel analysis, which was recently reconstructed and completed with new equipment. Over 35 million ALL have been invested in this new laboratory by the state budget and another 20 million ALL by public-private partnerships.

Prime Minister Edi Rama was in the reconstructed building of CTI and visited this laboratory of European technology, which provides 58 accredited analysis methods with certified and internationally recognized equipment. This way, the laboratory provides comprehensive warranty in the implementation of European standards followed by Albania.

Some staff members informed the Prime Minister on the equipment and processes currently being performed there. "Last year we did approximately 6275 analysis in our laboratory. Everything is carried out within European standards. Here we do the distillation of diesel and petrol, while over there we have a meter for measuring sulfur in fuels and heavy materials such as solar, mazout, etc.," one of them explained.

Inspectorate Director Ejana Xhixha said that the range of examinations offered in this laboratory is very wide and not just for oil and diesel, but also of other materials, as well as lubricants, which has led to increased interest for cooperation from other countries in the region. "We are in the process of international accreditation, and this will be the first laboratory in the Balkans to have this kind of accreditation. Regional partners are interested in cooperating with us, because the vast range of the analysis we perform cannot be carried out in their state laboratories. We are negotiating and entering agreements with regional state laboratories, but interest have shown also countries beyond the Balkans to start collaborating with our laboratory. Another element shows that only 1.5 of these products has resulted inconsistent with the standard" – she said.

Minister Gjiknuri noted that the laboratory is a good example of the functioning of the public-private partnership, since part of the investments for its technology is a contribution of this cooperation. "Today there is demand from Macedonia and Kosovo, even from other countries, and this laboratory will restore the prestige to many institutions in Albania."

In addition, Minister Gjiknuri announced that February will be the deadline for the processing plant oil derivatives, subject to the licensing process thus avoiding informality. "Albanian customers must be sure that all hydrocarbons standard will be respected. For plants that so far have operated outside the legal standard, February is their deadline. In order to function as hydrocarbon processing plants, plants must be licensed as such, otherwise they will be closed. February is the deadline. After February these plants will be considered illegal and the law will act on them."

System of production, processing and distribution of oil will not be a mess, assured Prime Minister Edi Rama, who considered this a very important benefit for everyday customers of oil and gasoline. In addition, they will see and will feel continuously radically improved quality and control by the state on every fuel distribution station: "I believe that this is important for everyday consumers of oil and gasoline who will see and feel the radically improved quality and radically improved control by the state, in every fuel distribution station.

We are all aware of what a mess this system of production, processing and distribution of oil has been. We are all aware that we have a considerable job to do in order to make the whole system available to the customer and have it compliant with the best European standards. But, investment in this laboratory ensures that we have a very competent and very effective structure to combat any manipulation and speculation on oil quality provided to citizens. It is a very important step forward in this direction and with a number of other steps that have been planned and that will be taken one after another in the coming months by the Ministry of Energy, in order to establish online control on all fuel stations and to avoid both the tremendous evasion and manipulation of quality.

We are confident that by the end of this year we will be able to tell Albanians that their cars are no longer threatened by destruction, because of the lack of fuel quality. On the other hand we have more revenues to the state budget from the industry, which is finally put on track after a decade of destruction and transformation into the most mafia corruption industry, which Albania has seen in the last 10 years."