Albania-Kosovo power line and Moglica 1.6 GW HPP - Three projects aim for special status, competing for priority and EU funding
As the government approved new rules for the development of projects of interest to the Energy Community, three projects directly involving Albania are among the investments evaluated for inclusion in the list. These are the expansion of the Moglica hydroelectric power plant with a pumped storage system, the construction of a new 400 kV Albania-Kosovo interconnection, and the rehabilitation of existing 220 kV lines connecting Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Albania up to Vau i Dejës.
Under the new framework, projects that receive Energy Community status must be integrated into regional investment plans and national 10-year network development plans, receiving the highest possible priority. The status also brings advantages in securing financing. The regulation stipulates that projects may qualify for technical and financial assistance from the European Union.
The Moglica Expansion, the only energy storage project that passed the pre-admissibility phase in the 2026 Energy Community Projects of Interest cycle. It envisages the construction of a pumped storage hydropower plant with a capacity of 1,620 MW and around 30 GWh of storage capacity, using the existing Moglica reservoir as a lower reservoir. The investment is estimated at around 1.79 billion euros, with an expected start of investments in 2027 and commissioning in 2033.
The second Albanian project is the reconfiguration of the 400 kV network and the construction of a new Albania-Kosovo interconnection. The estimated investment cost is 93.4 million euros, while commissioning is planned for 2029.
Meanwhile, the project that appears most sustainable in the assessment is the rehabilitation of the existing 220 kV Trebinje-Perućica-Podgorica-Vau i Dejës lines. It is the only one of the three projects related to Albania that remains in all three variants of the proposed list, even after applying the most conservative scenarios.
However, the projects are still candidates. The second list of projects of interest to the Energy Community is currently being prepared, while final approval is expected from the Ministerial Council of the Energy Community by the end of the year.
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