These initiatives are important steps for a region where many areas remain dependent on fossil fuels.
Two countries in Europe’s Balkan region recently announced ambitious climate goals.
Romania said it would invest heavily in its climate neutrality goal while Albania increases its solar energy production.
These initiatives are important steps for a region where many areas remain dependent on fossil fuels.
Environmentalists have long advocated for alternative energy sources.
Romania invests billions in climate neutrality
Romania has proposed spending billions of euros on its goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050, implying a 99 percent reduction in emissions compared to 1999.
The investment of nearly 2.1 billion euros will soon be voted on by the government.
Romania plans to channel the funds to its three main energy-consuming sectors: road transport, construction and industry.
In these key sectors, the government will invest in high-efficiency machinery, technology and equipment, including new vehicles and advanced heating and cooling systems.
Part of the funding will also be dedicated to improving the energy efficiency of buildings.
Albania will power “hundreds of thousands” of homes with solar energy
Sunny Albania boosts its solar energy supply with nearly 235,000 new solar panels at the Karavasta Power Station on the edge of the Karavasta National Lagoon park.
These will be connected to the country’s energy network in the coming weeks.
In less than two years, French company Voltalia has built the largest solar power plant in the Western Balkans, where much of the region remains dependent on fossil fuels, including coal.
Located on 200 hectares of land provided by the Albanian government, the plant will be capable of generating 140 megawatts, powering hundreds of thousands of homes in this country of 2.8 million inhabitants.
Albania Currently, about 99 percent of its electricity comes from hydroelectric plants.
But with regular droughts and dilapidated energy infrastructure dating back to the communist era, the country is struggling to keep pace with breakneck development fueled by the millions of tourists it welcomes each year.
With Karavasta’s solar panels and an average of 300 days of sunshine per year, it is hoped that the country will be able to ensure stable electricity production.
Although Albania promotes its green energy sector, the country produces around 650,000 tonnes of crude oil per year from dilapidated infrastructure that environmentalists have long criticized for the damage it causes to local communities.
But along its sun littoralengineers say the land is ideal for solar farms.
Luca Anthouard, an engineer working on the project, says the salty, unusable expanses of land around Karavasta allowed the developers to build a project “on a large scale according to European standards”.