First tender for the construction of utility-scale on-shore wind power plants at an event at the Centre for Openness and Dialogue at the Prime Minister’s office today. This important step ushers in new chapter in diversifying Albania’s renewable energy sources along with the photovoltaic parks designed to turn our country into net electricity exporter in the region. A study has been conducted through support of the Embassy of Switzerland to identify highly-feasible areas for wind power generation in the country, which account for 20% of the country’s territory at an elevation of over 150 meters above the sea level, as well as all protected areas where no wind power plants can be constructed.

Address by Prime Minister Edi Rama:

This represents another significant step on the path towards Albania 2030 horizon and fulfilling our ambition to turn Albania into net electricity exporter as well as clean or renewable energy exporter.

I think memory of time when Albania was an area of permanent danger in terms of its energy stability is still fresh, while we today not only generate 100% renewable energy, but we have also embarked on a new phase of crucial transformation of our power system, by considering, designing and delivering on diversification of energy sources.

Of course, our country is weather-dependent and this is a dependence always companying us on this path due to the fact that the country’s domestic generation is almost entirely dependent on hydropower. But in this aspect too, the Skavica hydropower plant is great news for the fact as it will provide us the opportunity to drastically reduce the weather dependence as a result of Skavica utilization to store electricity during drought periods, as well as to ultimately prevent the forced floods.

As we speak, the construction work on the 140-MW Karavasta photovoltaic park is already underway. Work is scheduled to kick off soon to construct the 100 MW photovoltaic park in Spitalle. Together, the two parks will enhance capacities of our power system, which will now also include rational exploitation of the wind power sources.

I think this would have totally impossible and unimaginable just few years ago, but it would also have been not easily achievable in terms of the standards, transparency and the quality this is being implemented right now, should the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy leadership wouldn’t have had the right partners at the right time and place, with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development remains a constant partner. In the meantime, during this fresh phase, we have the honor to enjoy partnership of the Swiss government, with which we have established a relations materialized through a financial assistance provided by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, which has provided us not only financial sources, but also a valuable and very necessary know-how source.

I would like to underline that this whole transformation path and 360 degree dedicated approach, not only to build and construct qualitatively, but also build in a credible way in terms of the process and the undeniable successes of the previous tenders, which have turned today’s Albania into a destination of interest for the biggest names in the global energy market. And if just few years ago it was absolutely impossible imagining that tenders were launched and leading international companies took part in these tenders, this is now a routine part of a development and transformation process.

To conclude, I believe we have laid the foundations and we keep climbing to reach for the new heights where Albanians deserve to be and where we can reach also thanks to the prudent and professional exploitation of all these natural resources, which would entail turning our country into a net clean and renewable energy exporter in the region and this makes our ambition for Albania 2030 horizon not only reachable, but also a new perspective horizon for all our children and our children.

Thank you very much everyone!