Albanian Kesh to start its 5.1 MW solar farm by year’s end
Date: December 21st 2021
Author: Montel
Category: En.vision
Topic:
Electricity
, Renewables
Power utility Kesh said on Tuesday that its 5.1 MW solar farm installed at the Vau i Dejes hydro power dam in north-west Albania will start producing electricity by the end of this year.
The photovoltaic unit at the Qyrsaqi dam has already been connected to the TSO OST’s transmission grid and once operational it is expected to produce 7,000 MWh of electricity annually, said Kesh CEO Ergys Verdho during a meeting with Albania’s energy minister Belinda Balluku last week.Kesh is planning three other solar projects at the same location with a total capacity of 23 MW. This includes a 12.9 MW floating solar farm, for which the Albanian utility has already received a EUR 9.1m loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
KESH is now studying the additional possibility of building wind farms at the location of its hydro plants.
Albania covers about 70% of its power consumption with electricity produced at the Drin River cascade where Kesh operates three hydropower plants, Fierza, Komani and Vau i Dejes, with a total installed capacity of 1,350 MW.
However, the country wants to reduce its dependence on electricity generated at hydro power plants, which presents a problem during periods of drought, such as the one experienced recently. Although heavy rains and snow have improved the situation in the past few weeks, the country is still relying on expensive imports to cover its demand, said Kesh.
Albania has already held successful solar auctions, while unsubsidised solar projects are also under development.
“Our aim is to become an energy exporting country for the region and also for neighbouring EU member states which are forced to buy green energy to compensate and balance carbon quotas. Albania will make this happen because renewables projects are no longer simply in the planning stage but are actually being constructed,” said the country’s energy minister.
She added that Albania’s government will cover the financial burden of higher import energy prices and it will not increase prices for households and businesses.
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