Albania will soon benefit from another renewable energy source as a 140MW solar photovoltaic plant project has recently been announced by the Ministry of Industry and Energy (MIE). Because much of Albania’s energy currently comes from hydropower, this project will diversify the country’s energy supply and reduce the need to import electricity in times when there is no rain.

As a member of a consortium of international companies including Navigant and DLA Piper, and an Albanian law firm, Tashko Pustina, Golder has provided the environmental and technical assistance financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to support the Albanian Government’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy.

“Golder played an important role in assessing the coastal site of Karavasta and supported the government in the structured tender and contract reward process,” says Livia Manzone, Associate at Golder in Italy. “We are proud to support this project which diversifies the country’s energy sources and increases its resilience to climate change.”

The announcement follows three years of preparation and is part of a technical assistance programme where Golder is also looking to identify suitable sites for utility scale photovoltaic plants through a multicriteria analysis using GoldSET©, Golder’s Sustainability evaluation Tool, as well as providing guidance with renewable energy auctions. The tender was published earlier this year and the winning bid was announced at the end of May 2020. The tender has resulted in the Albanian Government has secured the most competitive price of power in the Balkans.

Construction is scheduled to commence in 2021 and the people of Albania will soon start benefitting from renewable solar energy.