Share of private HPPs energy production in total production in Albania increased to 52%

Despite the fact that 2020 is not considered a good hydrological year, despite the problems brought by the pandemic, private hydropower plants in Albania have managed to produce more electricity than the public company KESH.

For the first time, the contribution of private concession companies accounted for as much as 52% of the country’s total electricity production. Official data show that a total of more than 2.73m MWh was produced between January and June, and the share of the Albanian Electric Power Corporation KESH, which operates the Drina cascade, was 48%.

The data show that private hydropower plants connected to the distribution system operator’s network (one of the companies created by the OSHEE unbundling) produced 400 thousand MWh of electricity, while the priority producers connected to the transmission system operator’s network delivered about 430 MWh.

Independent producers such as HPP Ashta, Kurumi, Peshqeshi and Fangu (Ayen Energji) also produced significant quantities, but it is noted that production at HPP Moglice, the largest private hydropower plant, began in March. Devoll Hydropower, which operates the cascade on the Devol River, which consists of HPP Banja and HPP Moglice, announced earlier that after the commissioning of HPP Moglice, production in Albania is expected to grow by 17%.

In four months, HPP Moglice delivered about 53,000 MWh, or about 2% of total electricity.

The data show that the production of photovoltaic energy continued in nine solar plants and that by the end of June it amounted to about 16 MWh, which is still a negligible amount in relation to the total production.

Despite its intention to diversify resources, Albania remains heavily dependent on hydropower, while the two leading photovoltaic projects still exist only on paper.

For the Kravasta solar park, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy has already signed a contract with the French company Voltalia, while the Akernia solar park project, which was awarded to India Power two years ago, is still pending.

Source: monitor.al

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