Albania’s long pursuit of gas

Gas is unlikely to assume a major role in Albania’s energy mix for years to come, but two priority projects are making headway and helping to establish the sector

Albania is continuing efforts to fulfil its long-standing ambition of integrating gas into its energy mix, with two priority projects—a city gasification scheme and a gas-fired power plant—progressing steadily. Tirana’s push for gas is primarily aimed at improving energy security. The country depends on around 2,500MW of hydroelectric capacity to meet nearly all its electricity needs, with the remainder—only just over 3% in 2023—coming from small-scale solar plants. While this gives Albania a very clean energy mix, it also exposes the country to the risk of shortages. In years of drought, Albania has had to import electricity, sometimes at high cost, especially as its Balkan neighbours, also