 |
| Flooded areas in Shkodër |
Albania, a country located in Southeastern Europe, is heavily dependent on hydropower for its electricity production. This dependence is a significant factor in the country's economy, with about 80% of its electricity production relying on hydropower.
The Albanian electricity market has been undergoing significant changes due to the fluctuating nature of hydropower production. The Albanian Hydropower Corporation (KESH) has been investing heavily in hydroelectric plants, leading to a shift in the company's position from solely purchasing electricity to exporting it.
In just one day, KESH has been selling electricity worth 52,400 megawatts/hour, generating a revenue of 5.4 million euros en.wikipedia.org. This is a significant increase from the previous year, where KESH sold electricity worth 81.2 million euros in the first half of the year while spending less than 36 million euros on purchasing it.
The surplus of 45.3 million euros was mainly due to increased production. According to data from the Regulatory Entity, in the first half of the year, the country produced approximately 6667 gigawatts/hour of electricity, a significant increase compared to the previous year.
The increase in energy production is also due to the arrival of tourists. The energy consumption rate increased to 5880 gigawatt-hours from less than 3400 in the first half of the year compared to the previous year.
However, the situation is not entirely positive. In 2022, Albania imported more than 500 million euros' worth of electricity, which is 10% more than the previous year en.wikipedia.org. This indicates that the country still has a long way to go in terms of self-sufficiency in electricity production.