Electricity production in Albania increased by more than a third in the second quarter of the year, while exports expanded by over 55% and imports fell, in a period when investments in new photovoltaic capacities are gradually expanding the country's production base.

The energy balance of the second quarter of this year, published by INSTAT, shows that net domestic production reached 2,361 GWh in the April-June 2026 period, from 1,757 GWh a year earlier, marking an annual increase of 34.4%. Available energy increased by 5.1%.

The increase in production was accompanied by a contraction in imports and a strong expansion in exports. Gross imports of electricity, including exchanges, fell by 21.5% to 569 GWh, from 725 GWh in the same period last year.

Gross exports increased by 55.4%, reaching 991 GWh, from 638 GWh in the second quarter of 2025. The difference between exports and imports was positive at 422 GWh during the quarter, reflecting a higher level of energy delivered abroad compared to that received.

Hydropower plants continued to dominate domestic production, but the data also show rapid growth of the category of other producers, where INSTAT includes renewable sources other than hydro and thermal, such as photovoltaic plants.

This category produced 448 GWh in the second quarter, from 288 GWh a year earlier, an increase of 55.6%. It accounted for 19% of net domestic electricity production in this period, compared to 42.8% generated by public hydropower plants and 38.2% by private and concessionary hydropower plants. The growth in this category coincides with the expansion of investments in the photovoltaic sector. INSTAT data show that public hydropower plants produced 1,011 GWh during the second quarter, 43.6% more than a year earlier.

Private and concessionary hydropower plants produced 903 GWh, with an annual increase of 18%.

In total, production from hydropower plants reached 1,913 GWh, while 448 GWh came from other producers. Albania did not record production from thermal power plants during the period. The increase in production was also accompanied by higher electricity consumption. Consumer usage reached 1,619 GWh during the second quarter, 6.2% more than the 1,525 GWh in the same period of 2025. Household consumption increased by 5.6%, while that of non-household consumers expanded by 6.9%.

Households used about 823 GWh of electricity during the quarter, while non-household consumers used about 796 GWh.

Total losses in the network remained almost unchanged, increasing by 0.1% to 320 GWh from 319.6 GWh a year earlier. Their weight in available energy fell to 16.5%, from 17.3%.

Transmission losses increased by 20.4%, while those in distribution fell by 3.1% compared to the second quarter of 2025.