French renewable power company Voltalia has commissioned a 140MW solar project in southern Albania, said to be the country’s largest to date.
The Karavasta solar plant in Albania’s Fier district has begun production and is now delivering its first electricity to the grid.
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According to Voltalia, power from the plant will be sold to a mix of public and private entities under long-term contracts. As previously reported on PV Tech, the project uses Chinese manufacturer Trina Solar’s bifacial tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) Vertex modules.
Sébastien Clerc, CEO of Voltalia, said in a statement: “I would like to express my gratitude to all those involved in making this project a reality, in particular the Albanian Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, the banking consortium under the lead of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).”
Karavasta was one of two solar projects awarded to Voltalia under tenders organised by Albania’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy (MIE) and sponsored by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Voltalia’s second project in Albania, the 100MW Spitalla Solar plant, has yet to be completed.
The MIE and EBRD were due to launch a further tender for 300MW of solar over the summer, with Albania aiming to become a net exporter of renewable energy by 2030.