Albania often touts that some 98% of its home-produced energy is green. Of course, this is something to be proud of, but like many things in the Western Balkans, there is much more to the story, and it is not necessarily indicative of Albania’s green credentials.
A country covered with mountains, valleys, and rivers, Albania is a prime location for hydropower. Some 98% of all energy generated in the EU candidate country comes from 37 operational hydropower plants, with many more currently out of service or under construction. The remaining 2% comes from solar panels, something the country’s government is keen to push forward, considering the more than 300 days of sunshine yearly.
However, the country does not run on renewable energy alone. Lacking proper energy storage facilities, much of the hydropower is sold during the peak generation months, namely spring and summer. When electricity demand is high in winter, Albania buys fossil fuel-generated power at a premium, pushing up Albanians’ bills as the long, cold evenings draw in.
Sitting on the beach at Shengjin in the north of Albania and looking across the bay to Montenegro, you can make out the faint figure of wind turbines on the horizon, something Albania has yet to consider despite the potential of its rolling hills and craggy, wild mountain ranges.
But how does this relate to the country’s Green Deal obligations? Albania started accession negotiations in the summer of 2022, and the first chapters were opened in October of this year. While not bound by the Green Deal until its accession, aligning with it is a necessary part of the process.
The European Union adopted the controversial Green Deall on 24 June 2021. It legally obligates all member states to reduce emissions by 55% by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050.
One step forward, two steps back
“Overall, transition in the electricity generation sector is advancing much faster in Albania than other aspects of the Green Agenda, such as reducing air and water pollution, building a circular economy, or protecting nature,” Pippa Gallop from Bankwatch told me.
She added that Albania has a headstart in the region as it already produces almost 100% renewable energy, meaning its task now is to diversify rather than decarbonise.
“The increase in rooftop solar and the addition of the 140 MW Karavasta solar plant to the grid in 2023 helped it to move forward in this respect since solar can help make up for hydropower’s climate vulnerability,” she added.
Climate vulnerability is not the only issue facing hydropower, however. Ambitious plans for a new US-backed super-dam called Skavica in the north of the country has resulted in mass protests from civil society.
Like similar movements in Valbona and along the Vjosa River, residents are distraught that the project will submerge 15,138 hectares of land, including agricultural fields, forests, and some 41 villages. It would displace thousands of people, decimate historical sites, and change the face of a culturally and historically rich part of the country.
Instead of moving ahead with more hydropower, the government has been encouraged to look at wind and more solar to meet its growing needs. While there have been some efforts in this regard, unfortunately, Albania has plans to take a step backwards rather than forward by announcing an intention to gasify the country.
In 2022, the government announced six projects to gasify the country. The projects, which would cost EUR 4 billion, would include expanding the Ionian-Adriatic pipeline and developing the Vlora thermal power plant. There have also been whispers of possible deals with Azerbaijan to build on existing gas infrastructure and reinforce Albania as a transit and destination country for gas.
“It’s unfortunate that the country is being distracted by ambitious gasification plans, though, as these would result in a transition towards fossil fuels, not away from them,” Gallop said.
Gallop, however, insists that Albania should concentrate on electrifying its heating through heat pumps and spend energy on electrifying the transport sector, particularly public transport, to reduce the use of private cars—something that would also help air pollution.
Driving pollution sky-high
Albania was under a repressive, totalitarian communist regime between 1944 and 1991. Private ownership was banned, and ordinary people were not allowed to own houses, land, or vehicles. After democracy came and the free market opened up, people rushed to own as much of everything as possible.
One of the most sought-after possessions was the car, particularly a Mercedes. Today, Mercedes and BMWs can be found on every street and in every parking space. While sitting in traffic in downtown Tirana, almost every other car that passes features the familiar circular logo with a three-point star in the centre.
Source: freepik.com
Many joke that Albanians drive their cars from their homes to the corner shop or deposit their rubbish bags at the communal bins, but it is not a laughing matter. In Tirana, air pollution is notoriously bad, and traffic jams from morning until night make traversing the city quickly impossible.
In Tirana, air quality often exceeds WHO-recommended levels for harmful substances such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM10). In the capital and other cities, emissions from cars and even industry result in thousands of deaths and illnesses every year.
Tirana, with a population of 598,100, is home to some 319,000 cars, with some 36,000 added in the last year alone. In addition, it takes 45 minutes to cross the city centre by car, with an average speed of 11km. This is not a sustainable situation for residents. Not only does car ownership carry prestige and fulfil a generation-old itch irritated by communism, but there is not much to fill the gap.
Public transport in Tirana consists of one circular service that covers one-half of the city’s ring road and several more minor services that dissect lines along arterial roads. There is no bus service for smaller neighbourhoods and the newer half of the town around the lake and the hills beyond.
While tickets are cheap, at around 40 cents a journey, the buses can lack air conditioning and suffer from overcrowding- something many Europeans are used to but that Albanians are unwilling to accept.
For intercity travel, a network of coaches and minibuses runs between cities from early morning until late evening, some on a schedule and some when they are full. They are cheap and low-cost but are seen by many as for use by ‘villagers’ or those who cannot afford a car.
Only two intercity lines remain for trains, but they travel at a top speed of 30km/h and cannot be considered for daily or practical use. While the Tirana-Durres line is set to be reopened with a shuttle train sometime next year, and the line to Shkodra in the north is also set to be renovated, their impact on gridlocked roads is yet to be determined.
Some of the buses in Tirana are electric or hybrid, and the city’s private taxi fleets are increasingly all electric—identified by their green and white branding and giveaway electric hum. As for electric car ownership among citizens, many are reluctant. While the price tag may be similar to a high-end Mercedes, it does not have the same prestige that the German brand enjoys.
While the government has tried to encourage ownership of electric cars and to increase the number of charging points, getting Albanians to switch to electric or give up their cars will remain one of the biggest challenges.
Waste not want not
But above and beyond Albania’s woes with gas and cars, the issue of waste is perhaps the biggest challenge. 2024 saw the most significant number of visitors to the country in its history, with some 10.4 million by November. While it is establishing its name as an international tourism destination, online groups dedicated to travellers visiting Albania are flooded with comments on problems with rubbish.
“I saw so many rubbish on the streets, roads, everywhere. And I'm wondering why…I don't understand, you have such a beautiful country but the rubbish is everywhere. What do you think the reason is?” one wrote.
Another wrote that Lake Koman in the north is beautiful but “dirty with trash/plastic, just like many other places in Albania.”
Meanwhile, national media portals have also denounced waste piling up on the capital's streets and other locations.
Albania only recycles around 18% of waste, and the rest goes into landfills and incinerators. Household and business waste is not generally separated, and if it is, it all ends up going into the same rubbish truck. There is little in the way of planned recycling plants, and those most active in collecting and recycling plastic, tin, and metal are the country’s Roma and Egyptian communities.
Pouring through rubbish bins, they separate the different kinds of waste, load them into trolleys or pickup trucks and sell them on to make a living.
As for incinerators, a series of government concessions to open incinerators in three of the country’s main cities hit a snag when investigative journalists unveiled that it was all essentially a scam. The case is now subject to the courts, and a number of high-ranking officials and other suspects have been arrested or are on the run.
“Ultimately, Albania’s EU accession is threatened if it neglects environmental law enforcement. However, it is also up to the European Commission to make this clearer, including in public statements,” Gallop said.
In 2023, the EU Delegation in Albania launched an initiative to “raise awareness among Albanian citizens, policymakers, civil society, businesses, and other stakeholders around environmental issues affecting the country” in the context of the Green Deal.
The campaign included river clean-ups and several photo opportunities, but its impact on everyday people is difficult to quantify.
As for the 2024 progress report from the European Commission, in Cluster 4, about the Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity, Albania got something of a mixed bag.
Some level of preparation was noted in transport, but there was limited progress in 2023. The Commission called on Albania to adopt a new transport strategy, implement the national energy and climate plan, and strengthen the capacity of the Energy Efficiency Agency. It was also asked to draft and implement energy efficiency legislation, implement the electricity integration package, and join the EU day-ahead market coupling by June 2026.
Green deal or no green deal?
If you ask the average person in Albania, what they think about Albania’s progress towards meeting the criteria of the Green Deal is, many will look at you with a blank expression. What matters to people here is affordable heating and cooling, efficient transport, clean air, and streets and beaches free from rubbish.
It remains to be seen whether the EU will get them there. But nothing can happen without political will, more education in all strata of society, and, of course, a significant amount of investment.