Offshore wind energy, EBRD assists Albania - Aims to diversify production sources, especially in dry seasons
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) approved a program on Thursday, aiming to assist Albania in its efforts to develop offshore wind energy.
The bank document highlights the fact that the Albanian energy system is dominated by hydropower plants, which account for 95% of the country's installed capacity with a total of 2,096 MW installed, making Albania the country with the highest share of renewable energy generation in Southeastern Europe. The installed hydropower capacity mainly includes large plants (over 10 MW) producing 1,904 MW, while small hydropower plants reach 192 MW.
According to the EBRD, reliance on hydropower is seen to become more critical due to climate change, with increasingly hot and dry summers when rainfall is at its lowest and electricity demand is at its highest. Typically, in July and August, Albania records the highest levels of imports as there is not enough rainfall to generate electricity from hydropower plants.
As a result, the country aims to diversify its generation sources, with solar and wind power being the two most prioritized sources to be developed in the short term, as part of a broader transition towards a sustainable and decarbonized energy system. “Diversification of generation through offshore wind farms, as a technology, has advantages such as more stable and predictable generation, as well as greater seasonal and daily demand response. The exploration of this technology brings about a significant and coherent development of energy production in the country,” the document approved by the EBRD concludes.
Currently, no wind energy is produced in Albania, while at the end of last year, 2 applications for the construction of power plants for production from this energy source were received by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy.
Both projects are planned to be developed in the Municipality of Vau i Dejës, with the estimated installed capacity of one project being 22.8 MW, while the other is 17.1 MW. Similar applications were submitted earlier this year for large wind farms. One of them included an installed capacity of 120 MW, while the other 55 MW.
According to data from the Energy Regulatory Authority, there are currently only 2 companies licensed to produce electricity from wind, but the plants have not yet entered production.
In July 2023, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy announced the winning projects of the Wind Farm Auction, qualifying 3 companies, with a total capacity of 222.48 MW.
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