Number of prosumers in Albania surpasses one thousand

Albania’s electricity distribution system operator OSHEE said the number of consumers on its network that have installed solar power panels for own consumption has reached 1,025.

Albania added 627 prosumers last year, according to OSHEE. In a social media post, the country’s electricity distribution system operator or DSO revealed that the number of prosumers on its grid has passed the 1,000-mark.

It indicates that there is more access to clean energy at a lower cost, enabling savings at a time of turbulence in the market, according to the state-owned company. It said 59% of the 1,025 registered consumers that have installed solar power panels for own use are in the regions of capital Tirana and the nearby port city of Durrës.

Industrial producers are limited at up to 500 kW

The DSO pointed out that 2022 brought a boom in the number of requests, as they made up half of all the applications in the three years since the relevant law was changed.

Prosumers in Albania connected to the distribution grid have a combined capacity of 102 MW, OSHEE added. Industrial producers can install up to 500 kW.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku recently said the government aims to make Albania a net electricity importer by 2029. There are three major solar power plants under construction in the country, which is a major leap among the Western Balkans and beyond.

Electricity market environment rapidly improving

The Albanian Power Exchange or ALPEX is about to become operational, which is set to improve the investment and market environment, together with the plan for an additional interconnection with neighboring Montenegro.

The country hosts the first floating solar power plant in the region, while another one is envisaged to be installed and integrated with an existing hydropower plant and its photovoltaic unit on one of the dams.

Of note, the number of prosumers in Serbia also topped one thousand recently, of which a fifth are companies and the remainder are residential solar panel owners. Total capacity is just under 13 MW even though the largest facility has almost 1 MW. Conversely, Romania expects the number of prosumers to hit 100,000 this year.