/2^nd October 2017, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ Statkraft officially opened the 73MW Banja hydropower project in Albania, which is the first of the two power plants being constructed as part of the 256MW Devoll hydropower project. The power plant, which is located 65 kilometres southeast of the capital Tirana, was officially opened by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and Statkraft CEO Christian Rynning-Tønnesen, together with Albanian Energy Minister Damian Gjiknuri and Norway’s Ambassador-designate, Per Sjaastad.

/BRUSSELS, May 31, 2024, 11:00 CEST, The Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB)/ The Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB) informed today on its LinkedIn profile that Albania and Bulgaria are accepted as full association members. With a main focus on supporting the energy transition for all stakeholders, AIB aims to unite the European issuing bodies of energy attribute tracking systems for all energy carriers and technologies, thereby using a decision-making structure that respects their varying identities while allowing for continuous evolution. Memberships were registered for Bulgaria’s Sustainable Energy Development Agency (SEDA) and Albania’s Energy Regulatory Authority (ERE). Joining the Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB) can provide Albania and Bulgaria with several benefits regarding trading guarantees of origin (GOs) from renewable energy sources.

/16^th July 2019, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ Albanian local power utility Korporata Elektroenergjetike Shqiptare (KESH) has submitted in December 2018 a proposal to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure for the construction of a 12.9 MW floating PV plant. According to the document, the facility will be installed at the water reservoir of the Drin River near Vau i Dejës, a town in the Shkodër County, northwestern Albania, where KESH is operating the 260 MW Vau i Dejës Hydroelectric Power Station. The plant will sell power to the electricity spot market, the document says.

/25^th August 2017, Axel Reiserer/ The EBRD and the Enterprise Expansion Fund (ENEF) are jointly providing €1.8 million in financing to support the expansion of Albanian company APM, a leading local manufacturer of fabricated metal products, which is active in the renewable energy business as well. The funds will co-finance a €3.7 million investment plan including the purchase of machinery and equipment to support the expansion of capacity in response to growing demand from existing and new clients.

/28^th January 2021, Vanora Bennett, EBRD, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ The Organisations behind the Platform Initiative in Support of Coal Regions in Transition in Western Balkans and Ukraine agreed to join efforts to support the transition away from coal and towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient future in the Western Balkans and Ukraine. Participants including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD),World Bank Group, the College of Europe (Natolin campus), the Energy Community Secretariat, the European Commission and the government of Poland kicked off discussions on how to support the regions in phasing out coal while supporting local communities that remain economically dependent on the coal industry.

/1^st October 2020, EBRD, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ The EU has one of the most ambitious energy and climate policies in the world. Its clean energy transition is well underway. "I am glad that benefits already can be seen in terms of "greening" of economies, less dependency on imported fuels, and greater domestic investments in ecologically sound approaches", said Christian Danielsson, Director General for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations. 

/12^th January 2016, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ The Albanian government announced that it would establish wind turbines in the Kurbin area, aiming to construct the first 36 MW wind farm in the country for wind energy generation. The Ministry of Energy and Industry proposed this plan approved by the government and featured at the Official Bulletin. 

/LONDON, December 12, 2022, 11:00 GMT, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ This market report offer an incisive and reliable overview of the solar photovoltaic power sector of Western Balkan countries for the period 2023 ÷ 2032. Newly installed PV capacity in this region will exceed several GWs in the next 5 years. The number of fully permitted and ready-to-build projects is promptly increasing. The rooftop solar PV market segment in many countries is not developed and is forecasted to score significant growth soon. Energy demand in the region is constantly increasing, according to the Western Balkans Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Market Outlook 2023÷2032. Some countries can exceed their electricity production demand needs with the support of renewable energy. Furthermore, some Western Balkan countries are currently in various EU membership joining statuses.

/26^th October 2017, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) at the beginning of May 2017 has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Albania to help the country promote investment in solar PV power. Signed with the country’s Ministry of Energy and Industry, the MoU will enable the development of solar power projects through an auction system. The idea is to mobilize investment in Albania’s solar power so that the European country can reduce its dependence on energy imports and hydropower. This MoU aims to arrange and support the development of solar PV projects in Albania with a total capacity of between 50 MW and 100 MW through an auction-based system to apply the best international practices. The Albanian energy regulator (ERE) in August 2017 has set a regulated tariff €100 ($118.5)/MWh for PV projects with a capacity of up to 2 MW revealed Western Balkans Photovoltaic Market: Outlook 2016÷2025.

/2^nd May 2018, Scan TV, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ The first proposals for investments in wind farms have been submitted to the Albanian Ministry of energy and Infrastructure. The institution announced that the first applications for the wind farm construction were submitted by EURUS ltd and WF ENERGY ltd companies, Scan TV reported. Each of the companies expressed interest in investing in renewable energy in Albania. Moreover, investors say that the optimal site for the wind turbine construction would be a 450,000 square meters area in Karaburun Peninsula, Vlora area. The farm's installed capacity is proposed to be 10 MW which is higher compared to the installed capacity of most applications for hydropower and photovoltaic plants that have an installed capacity of 2MW. The Albanian energy regulator (ERE) in August 2017 has set a regulated tariff for wind projects with a capacity of up to 3 MW and PV projects with a capacity of up to 2 MW revealed Western Balkans Wind Power Market: Outlook 2017÷2026.

/LONDON, March 16, 2023, 11:00 GMT, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ Between 2012 and 2022, the Western Balkan Countries increased their solar power capacity 11 times. Western Balkans became one of the fastest-growing regions in Europe, with a 28.1 per cent increase in cumulative solar photovoltaic (PV) installed capacity in 2022 compared with 2021. The number of fully permitted and ready-to-build projects is promptly increasing. The rooftop solar PV market segment in many countries in this region is underdeveloped and is forecasted to grow significantly. Energy demand in the region is constantly increasing, according to the Western Balkans Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Market Outlook 2023÷2032. Some countries can exceed their electricity production demand needs with renewable energy support.