Albania's electricity production declined to 1,564 GWh in the third quarter of 2024, from 1,611 GWh in the same quarter of 2023, the country’s statistical office said on Tuesday.

Albania's power exports dropped 38% to 282 GWh in the July-September period, whereas imports of electricity rose 1% to 762 GWh, INSTAT said in a quarterly report.

Of the country's entire electricity production in the third quarter, 1,380 GWh, or 88.2%, was generated by hydro power plants.

The energy balance data published by INSTAT for the July-September period shows that the available electricity increased by 6.9%.

"The net domestic electricity production in this period decreased by 2.9% reaching the value of 1,565 GWh from 1,611 GWh of energy produced in the third quarter of 2023. This production was realized by public hydropower plants to the extent of 69.5%, from private and concessionary hydropower plants to the extent of 18.7%, and from other producers to the extent of 11.8% of net domestic energy production electric," INSTAT said in the publication.

In this panorama, opposite to a year ago, there is a slight increase in imports but a marked decrease in exports. "The gross import of electricity (energy in receipt), in the third quarter of 2024, reached the value of 762 GWh from 755 GWh that was in the same period of the previous year, thus marking an increase of 1.0%. The gross export of electricity (energy in delivery) reached the value of 282 GWh from 453 GWh, marking a decrease of 37.8%", INSTAT estimates.

INSTAT data show that public hydropower plants, in the third quarter of 2024, produced 1,088 GWh from the 1,236 GWh produced in the third quarter of 2023, thus marking a drop in production by 11.9%.

Meanwhile, private and concessionary hydropower plants produced 292 GWh from 346 GWh produced in the same period a year ago, marking a decrease in electricity production by 15.6%.

Other producers produced 185 GWh from 30 GWh produced in the same period a year ago, marking an increase in electricity production by 6.3 times. The exchange of electricity (difference between export and gross import of energy), in the third quarter of 2024, has reached a negative value of 481 GWh, while in the third quarter of 2023, there was also a negative value of 302 GWh", the publication states.

Meanwhile, network losses reached 344 GWh from 328 GWh, marking an increase of 4.9%, compared to the third quarter of 2023. Transmission losses decreased by 1.4%, while distribution losses increased by 5,9%. Technical losses in distribution have increased by 11.3%, while non-technical losses in distribution have decreased by 9.8%, compared to the third quarter of 2023.

The use of electricity by consumers, in the third quarter of 2024, increased by 7.3% reaching the value of 1,702 GWh from 1,586 GWh that was in the third quarter of 2023.