The Kuvendi – Parliament of Albania – cleared the way for agrisolar and wind parks as well as energy storage facilities on agricultural land. The opposition claims that the legislation needed to define rules and standards, instead of giving the government the authority to decide on such projects.
Against the backdrop of the so-called flamingo revolution, prompted by a highly controversial real estate development initiative in a protected coastal area, Albania also allowed renewables on agricultural land. Almost all opposition lawmakers abstained from the vote, while even some from the ruling majority opposed the draft.
The changes to the law on the protection of agricultural land authorize the Council of Ministers, the country’s government, to determine the criteria for agrivoltaics and wind farms, alongside energy storage systems. The Kuvendi, Parliament of Albania, passed the legislation with 77 members in favor out of 140.
Among other objections, the opponents stressed that drilling and massive concrete foundations for wind turbines would damage the land. They said the amendments would enable “irrevocable destruction.”
Is growing food competitive versus generating power
Fertile ground must be preserved, Erion Braçe from Prime Minister Edi Rama’s ruling Socialist Party of Albania (PSSh) said in the assembly. “Land is needed for agriculture, not for industrial activities,” he stressed.
Such areas aren’t endless, he pointed out. In Braçe’s view, they must be used for new forms of agriculture, productive enough to compete with electricity production.
The government argues that the amendments are aimed at benefiting the land, farmers and production with advanced technologies
Minister of Agriculture Andis Salla claimed that the intervention is limited and necessary for the development of modern agriculture. The purpose of the law is for technology to benefit the land, farmers and production, he asserted.
Residents of agricultural areas have been protesting often against solar power projects on state or municipal land that they use, including pastures.
Notably, there are still no wind turbines in operation in Albania, versus 1 GW in approximate solar power capacity.
Loose definitions of agrivoltaics
Agrisolar or agrivoltaics is the combination of agriculture and solar power on the same land. Such installations provide shading, protection from hail as well as precipitation and temperature control, which is beneficial for many plants.
But more and more developers have been advertising their projects as agrivoltaic, also called agriphotovoltaic, even if they just let sheep or other livestock graze between the arrays. Operators would need to cut vegetation on grassland and shrubby areas anyway.
In a narrow sense, agrisolar plants are the ones with photovoltaic panels high up on supports, to enable farming below. But costs are higher that way than for ground-mounted solar power plants. Some promising solutions are emerging, such as transparent and flexible panels, especially for glasshouses.
