In October 2023, the largest solar power plant in the western Balkans, the 140-megawatt Karavasta plant, became operational in southern Albania, marking the beginning of a series of solar projects that are set to come online in the country by the end of the decade.
Sadik Llapashtica, the coordinator of the solar panel project in Tropoja, which has been in operation for several years, states that the solar energy sector has gained priority. “The solar energy market in Albania is progressing very well, especially due to the energy crisis caused by the Russia-Ukraine war.
Will Albania build a solar photovoltaic park?
The Albanian government has given the green light to two projects put forward by local companies and envisaging the construction of solar photovoltaic (PV) parks with a combined capacity exceeding 100 MW. The Karavasta solar park in Albania. Image by: Voltalia.
Many licenses have been granted for photovoltaic energy, and some of them have been put into operation this year, while others are still in the process. This is a very positive trend for Albania, which helps increase renewable energy production capacity, a global trend to preserve the environment.
How many photovoltaic plants are there in Albania?
Fifteen of them belong to solar energy, with a production capacity of over 227,000 MW. The number of photovoltaic plants reached 27 last year, but their production is still low, generating around 50,000 MWh of energy out of a total production of 7 million MW in Albania in 2022.
A move toward more solar is partly an attempt to diversify Albania's electricity sources. In “ Evaluation and integration of photovoltaic (PV) systems in Albanian energy landscape,” which was recently published in Solar Compass, the scientists said that solar is an adaptable and affordable alternative, given Albania's sunny climate.
Does Albania need more solar and wind energy?
The government has set a target to cover 54% of Albania's total energy needs from renewable energy sources by 2030. This will require a large number of additional solar and wind energy projects to achieve this objective. However, implementing such projects comes with a series of challenges.