Albchrome poisoned Elbasan with hazardous waste, 320 tonnes of toxic dust uncovered

Environmental crimes in Elbasan are recurring with alarming frequency, while citizens are suffering serious health consequences.

The latest scandal centers on the Turkish company Albchrome, specifically its ferrochrome plant in Elbasan.

A few months ago, environmental inspectors urgently intervened at two fire sites near the plant. But when they arrived, they discovered 318 tonnes of toxic industrial dust. The material had been stored for months at the “AlbChrome” chromium plant, without any contract for its treatment or safe disposal.

The facility, owned by the Turkish Yildirim Group, was temporarily shut down, but the toxic waste remains there, undisposed of.

This is the latest in a series of disasters to hit one of Europe’s most devastated industrial cities, which is often shrouded in deadly smoke as a result of similar fires.

Rama inaugurated the filter

In May 2024, Edi Rama visited Albchrome’s ferrochrome plant in Elbasan on the occasion of the installation of the new filtration system. The prime minister described the €2 million investment in the new filter as a major achievement.

“This investment is considerable, for an element that, at first glance. The transformation is being carried out to provide better conditions for workers. The filtration system represents a €2 million investment. I told Mr. Ilirim that we would come to celebrate this fact, which is welcomed by the community and state institutions, and that this is a battle we will all win together. This will be achieved by building bridges of dialogue,” Rama said.

The investment that Rama inaugurated with great fanfare is called dedust. It is a filtration system that draws in polluted air, separates the dust from the air through filters, and releases only purified air. However, the dedusting process at a ferrochrome plant produces large volumes of waste that are extremely dangerous to the environment.

When the air filters capture the smoke and dust released by electric arc furnaces during chromium smelting, the dust accumulates in the system’s hoppers. In technical terms, this waste is called chimney dust (Ferrochrome Dust).