Solar energy remains in the spotlight in Albania as applications for installations continue to pour in each month throughout this year.

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy has disclosed another submission, this time for an installed capacity of 5 MW, which is not considered a concession, meaning it does not qualify for any support measures. This application is a collaborative effort involving at least three entities.

The location of this installation is in Cadastral Zone No. 3804, in the Administrative Unit of Bilisht, in the Municipality of Devoll, in the county of Korça.

Although numerous applications have been submitted since 2017 concerning photovoltaic projects, only a fraction of them has received final approval. Official data indicates that the Energy Regulatory Entity, the authority responsible for granting licenses to these entities, has issued a total of 36 such licenses for this category. This has led to an installed capacity of 350 MW as of the end of August.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy has initiated a process to allocate a 1 GW capacity for photovoltaic projects. This allocation will be done through an auction featuring three rounds, with initial proposals expected to be submitted by October this year.

The procedure outlined in the earlier announcement specifies that the first round for these projects will involve a 300 MW capacity. Each developer is required to submit a proposal for up to 100 MW, and successful bidders will sign a 15-year support agreement with the government.