The Albanian government has announced the results of the country’s first utility-scale bidder-selected site auction for onshore wind capacities (26 July).
Three bidders have been awarded capacity, totalling 222.48 megawatts (MW), under the country’s third renewable energy auction and the first for onshore wind.
The successful bidders are French company Total Eren with a bid of 44.88 euros/MWh for a capacity of 75 MW, Turkish company Guris with a bid of 74 euros/MWh for 74.88 MW and Austrian company Verbund with a bid of 74.95 euros/MWh for 72.6 MW. With Total Eren’s bid, the result marks another record price for the country and the Western Balkans.
Albania launched the auction in 2021, with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy running the tender.
“Albania has made remarkable progress towards meeting its renewable energy targets and implementing auctions. We are very pleased to have supported the first wind auction in the country with bidder-selected sites and look forward to launching the 300 MW solar auction. This success is a game changer for Albania, a testament to what can be achieved with the right policy framework and a government committed to delivering on their renewable energy targets,” said Gianpiero Nacci, Director of Sustainable Business and Infrastructure at the European Bank for Recovery and Development (EBRD) which aided the Albanian authorities in introducing competitive procurement processes for renewable energy projects.
Additionally, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) provided funding for the technical assistance that covers the new tender as well as for work on energy sector regulation that will enable renewables to be deployed, the EBRD said via a press release.
SECO is also financing Albania’s upcoming 300 MW solar auction.
Since 2020, Albania has awarded 240 MW of solar energy, with record low prices in the region, and 222.48 MW of onshore wind. A further 300 MW of solar power will be awarded in the coming months. This brings the total capacity supported by the EBRD through the Renewable Energy Programme to over 460 MW, which reflects about 20 per cent of the country’s current total transmission grid capacity.
The EBRD is also working with the Albanian government to assess the country’s offshore wind potential and continues to work on key improvements to the regulatory framework.
The auctions have attracted “new and credible private investors and developers, both international and national,” the EBRD’s press release read. Since the first auction, the number of bids has increased significantly, with “highly reputable” international and national developers expressing interest in Albania’s growing renewable energy sector, the EBRD added.
