Statkraft has launched the final stage of its floating solar plant in Albania, following initial teething problems such as part of the panels sinking just days after launch.
The company launched four floating units on the Banja reservoir in southeastern Albania, just next to the company’s 72MW Banja hydropower plant. The combined capacity of the units is 2MW with some 6400 panels.
The first run of panels was launched last year but promptly sunk. It was, however, refloated and the other three planned rings were launched. The project cost a total of EUR 2 million.
Earlier in July, Voltania announced they were starting work on the Karavasta solar park which will be the largest in the Balkans. Spanning 196 hectares, it will have a capacity of 140 MW comprising 240,000 panels.
Voltalia won a 30-year concession for the site with 50% of the electricity being sold through a 15-year contract to the Albanian public operator, with the rest being sold to private operators. The project is expected to be completed in the second half of 2023.
A second project is in the works in Spitalla which will have a capacity of 100 MW.
