The Karavasta project implemented by the French company Voltaila with a total cost of about 150 million dollars is considered as the largest foreign investment in Albania.
In Karavasta, which is located near the city of Fier, about 40 km from Vlora, the government has made available about 200 hectares of land for the construction of a large photovoltaic park. The plant will have a capacity of 140 MW and will supply energy to around 220,000 households by the end of this year, said Constantin von Alvensleben, Voltaila’s manager for Albania.
The company has also been selected for the construction of a solar park in Spitalle, near Durres. This is a large project which will start next year and which will allow the supply of energy as early as the end of 2025.
According to Alvensleeben, renewable energy will have a great future in Albania, since the government intends to cover 54% of the total energy needs using renewable energy sources by 2030. This daunting challenge will require the implementation of many projects in the solar and wind energy sector. Albania focuses on “green projects”, to minimize the impact on the environment and preserve biodiversity.
Last year, 22 energy producers received authorization from the Albanian energy regulator. 15 of them operate in the solar energy sector, with a production capacity of over 227,000 MW. The largest number of solar energy projects are concentrated in the regions of Korça and Fier.
In Albania there are currently 27 photovoltaic plants in operations, whose production (50 thousand MWh) still represents a very low percentage in relation to the total energy produced in 2022 (7 million MW). However, the solar energy sector is becoming a priority in Albania, also due to the energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. The market is constantly growing thanks to the support that the Ministry of Energy provides to local and foreign investors. In addition to the installation of solar panels, investments must also be directed towards the production of batteries, to allow energy independence and cost reduction for families and companies.
