Two Albanian energy producers, Orher and Delta Plan Studio, will be able to start their projects related to the construction of photovoltaic plants. In fact, the Albanian Energy Regulatory Authority ERE has decided to grant authorization for the production of electricity from solar panels with a total capacity of 4 MW. The plants will be installed near the city of Fier, located 40 km north of Vlora.
Favina Group and M&K Energy Trading will also be able to launch their third 40 MW solar project in Erseka Solar Park, located near the city of Korça, in southern Albania. With a total capacity of 80 MW and a surface area of over one hundred hectares, this structure will become the largest solar power plant in the country, capable of producing approximately 170 GWh per year. The project will be financed with international loans.
Currently, there are 46 companies authorized to produce photovoltaic energy, but there are still few projects launched with direct private investments or through public auctions.
Among the first projects realize, there are the photovoltaic plants built in the Karavasta lagoon between Durres and Vlora by the French developer Voltalia. With a total capacity of 140 MW, the Karavasta power station is currently the largest solar plant in the Western Balkans. It can generate electricity equivalent to the annual consumption of 220,000 people.
Until now, the country has relied on hydroelectric power plants for almost all of its electricity generation, but this makes it vulnerable to drought. For this reason, the government intends to focus on renewable energy in order to achieve energy independence by 2030.
The share of photovoltaic energy, which this year accounted for just 2.5% of total energy production, is therefore expected to increase significantly as new plants with significant capacity come online.
