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The Energy Community (EnC) Secretariat has congratulated Albania on successfully completing the first-ever renewable energy support auction in the Energy Community, inviting other EnC Contracting Parties to follow in the country’s footsteps.
“We warmly welcome the first renewables support auction in Albania and hope that it will be followed in all Contracting Parties. Renewable energy auctions provide a competitive selection processes for granting support, resulting in lower renewable energy prices. This is a clear gain for energy consumers,” said Energy Community Secretariat Director Janez Kopač, according to a press release from the EnC Secretariat.
The winning consortium is to build the country’s first solar power plant in the Akerni region near the city of Vlora. The auctioned volume was 50 MW with support, to be purchased by the Government at 0.0599/kWh over 15 years, which is lower than the base and peak prices at the Hungarian Power Exchange (HUPX), the reference for the electricity import price in the region, registered in August and September 2018. Another 50 MW, without support, is to be sold at the market price, the press release recalled.
The renewable energy auction in Albania was preceded earlier this year by Montenegro granting the tender for the construction on state-leased land and operation of a solar PV project with an installed generation capacity of 250 MW without support, the press release recalled.
In March 2018, the Energy Community Secretariat together with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and in collaboration with the International Renewable Energy Agency issued Policy Guidelines to help countries design and implement competitive selection processes for supporting renewable energy.
FYR Macedonia headed for renewable energy support auctions
FYR Macedonia is meanwhile preparing to pass regulations to introduce prosumers and tendering procedures with electronic reverse auctions to award premiums to investors seeking to build photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy capacities.
The draft regulations on renewables, accompanying Macedonia’s new energy law, passed in May, have been prepared by US Agency for International Development (USAID) consultants for the Ministry of Economy and the office of Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Koco Angjusev.
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