Reducing vulnerability to hydropower shortages with solar energy
This case study examines the construction of a 50 MW ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in the Belsh area of central Albania, located 50 km south of Tirana within the Elbasan District.
About
Albania has set clear targets for increasing its non-hydro generation capacity from renewable sources to diversify the energy mix and reduce the country’s vulnerability to hydropower shortages due to climate change.
Challenges:
The project addresses several significant challenges that Albania faces in its energy sector. Here are the primary issues the project aims to solve:
- Albania’s energy system is highly dependent on hydropower, which accounts for about 99.6% of its electricity generation. This reliance makes the country vulnerable to fluctuations in electricity production due to variable rainfall, which is increasingly affected by climate change.
- The existing infrastructure is not fully equipped to handle large-scale renewable energy inputs, leading to potential inefficiencies and instability.
- Albania’s solar energy sector has struggled with regulatory complexities, difficult access to financing, and a lack of transparent policies, which have deterred investors.
Solutions
The solar project aims to:
Diversify Albania’s energy mix, reducing this dependence on hydropower and enhancing energy security.
Construct an associated sub-station on a greenfield site of approximately 60 hectares and a new approximately 9 km 110kV overhead line that will connect it to the grid at the existing sub-station at Kajan.
Oercome financial barriers by providing financial backing and working within a clearer regulatory framework, thus encouraging more private investment in the sector.
Impacts
- By generating 79 GWh/year of clean electricity annually, equivalent to the energy demand of 16,100 households, the project is expected to additionally displace over 50,000 tonnes of CO2 each year, contributing to the country’s climate goals.
- The plant's generation is expected to comprise around 1% of the annual national electricity production.