Albania is attempting to turn its energy model around, investing seriously in wind energy for the first time in a country that until now does not have a single operating wind turbine. At the heart of this shift is the plan to create a large wind farm in the Tropoja region, in the north of the country, a project presented as a key step towards breaking away from the exclusive use of hydroelectric power.
During the presentation of the project, Prime Minister Edi Rama stressed that unilateral dependence on water resources has long been a weak point of the Albanian economy. As he said, years with reduced rainfall forced the country to resort to expensive electricity imports, while during periods of heavy rains a significant part of the water potential either remained unexploited or caused disasters.
According to him, the integration of wind and solar energy into the energy mix is a necessary adaptation to modern needs, with the aim of renewable sources, in addition to hydroelectric power, covering approximately one third of domestic electricity production by the end of the decade.
The Tropoja project, with a capacity of approximately 600 MW, has received preliminary approval from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, allowing the investor company CWP Europe to proceed to the final stages of project maturation. The company’s head of Europe, Dimitar Enchev, stressed that local electricity production is a key prerequisite for a modern economy, especially in a period where artificial intelligence infrastructure and data centers are rapidly developing.
CWP Europe has an extensive portfolio of projects in Southeastern Europe, with a total capacity of over 7 GW, of which approximately 900 MW are wind projects in Albania. The company is also developing over 1 GW of photovoltaic installations in the wider region.
The investment in Tropoja does not foresee state subsidies or a concession regime, while its total cost has been estimated at over 1 billion euros. The planned development zone covers areas extending into several settlements in the region, making the project one of the largest energy projects ever proposed in the country.
Particular mention was also made of the support of European institutions, as the project is part of broader cooperation initiatives with the European Commission, in the context of strengthening investments in clean energy in the Western Balkans.
On the government side, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Baluku described the diversification of energy sources as a “strategic necessity” and not just a choice. As she said, in recent years Albania has added hundreds of megawatts of photovoltaic power, while wind and solar energy projects with a total capacity of about 1.5 GW are underway.
The minister also noted that significant steps have been taken in reducing losses in the distribution network and improving the reliability of the electrical system, with power outages now limited to short-term incidents.
In a country that for decades relied almost exclusively on its rivers for energy production, the Tropogia wind farm is presented as a test but also as an indication of transition: from a vulnerable model of dependence on weather conditions, to a more complex and resilient energy landscape.
