Albania’s energy regulator ERE said on Tuesday it has started licensing procedures for a 3 megawatt wind project that local energy company Sunpro plans to develop near the southwestern city of Vlora. The Albanian government said it approved the project in March 2023, to be completed within three years from approval.

Sunpro was founded in 2018, according to the Albanian business register. Local entrepreneur Realdo Mansaku is its sole owner. Wind and solar power plant projects in Albania have by far outstripped planned hydropower investments, as evident from grid connection requests. In 2023, there were 140 applications for 10.86 GW in total, according to OST.

Photovoltaics accounted for more than half – developers submitted 83 requests for an overall 5.62 GW while only two grid connections were signed, the OST annual report reveals. There were 50 applications for wind power projects, for 4.87 GW in total, and one contract was signed.

The remainder was hydropower, with five applications for 64 MW and three contracts, and two for thermal power plants of a combined capacity of 300 MW. No contract was signed in the latter category, OST said.

The state-owned company added that some of the winners of Albania’s first wind power auction, held last year, obtained preliminary grid connection approvals and reapprovals. Voltalia’s 75 MW project is called South Wind Park. A consortium of Guri? (40%), Mogan Enerji (40%), and BRD Energy (20%) intends to build the Kryevidh facility of 74.4 MW, according to OST. The third developer is Verbund Green Power Albania, the document adds, with a project also called Kryevidh, of 72.6 MW in capacity.