Member of the Democratic Party, Enno Bozdo, declared that there is no real investment in Albania to diversify sources for renewable energy. Verifications partially contradict Bozdo’s assertion, as Albania had 20 active photovoltaic plants by the end of 2023. However, he is accurate regarding the lack of investment in utilizing natural gas. Albania is still in the planning phase in this regard.
‘We have no real investment in diversifying sources for generating electricity, either through natural gas or other types of renewable energy,’ stated Enno Bozdo during a media conference at the Democratic Party.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4MDzB3PeTk
Fact-checking by Faktoje indicates that, contrary to Mr. Bozdo’s statement, concrete steps have been taken in Albania regarding solar energy production.
As official data from INSTAT also shows, last year 1% of the total energy production came from photovoltaic producers.
Based on official data, the majority of energy production in Albania was generated by public hydroelectric power plants at 58.2%, followed by private and concessionaire hydroelectric plants at 40.8%, with 1% of electricity coming from photovoltaic producers.
Following a severe energy crisis, Albania emerged as a net energy exporter last year. According to the energy balance from the Statistical Institute, energy production reached 8,796 GWh, representing a 25.6% increase.
Additionally, the Energy Regulatory Authority has confirmed to Faktoje that Albania had 20 operational photovoltaic power plants by the end of 2023. Moreover, the beginning of the year also indicates an increased and specific demand for these investments.
The hybrid auction for a 300 MW capacity, announced by the government in mid-January, along with several applications submitted to the Strategic Investments Committee and 10 new applications to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, signal a new development in solar energy production.
Moreover, this year has marked the beginning of energy production from the Karavasta solar park, which is an investment by the French company Voltalia, a prominent international player in renewable energies.
With a total capacity of 140 megawatts, the Karavasta thermal power plant can generate electricity equivalent to the consumption of 220,000 people.
‘The 140 MW photovoltaic park in Karavasta is an investment by the French company Voltalia worth 135 million Euros. This fact alone is sufficient to refute Mr. Bozdo’s statement,’ expresses Azmer Duleviç, an expert in the field of energy.
On the other hand, the Regulatory Authority has licensed two wind power plants with a combined capacity of 222 MW.
As for natural gas, Albania is still in the planning phase. Despite the government signing a memorandum of cooperation with American companies Excelerate and ExxonMobil three years ago to establish a regional gas center in Vlorë, with Vlora thermal power plant as the main consumer, the agreement remains only on paper.
Conclusion
In summary, the information gathered by Faktoje undermines Mr. Bozdo’s assertion regarding the absence of investments in solar energy utilization, while his claim about the lack of investments in natural gas utilization is valid. Consequently, we classify Enno Bozdo’s statement regarding the absence of real investment in ‘the diversification of sources for electricity generation’ as partially true.
