Albania’s electricity sector has experienced a remarkable surge in production during the first quarter of 2026, as reported by the Albanian Institute of Statistics (INSTAT). Total electricity generation reached 3,647 GWh, reflecting a substantial year-on-year increase of 63.2% from 2,234 GWh in the same quarter of the previous year. This growth underscores the strengthening of Albania’s generation capacity, with hydropower resources playing a pivotal role.
The export of electricity has also shown impressive results, more than doubling by 105.4%, totaling 1,503 GWh between January and March 2026. Concurrently, electricity imports have decreased significantly, dropping by 57.4% to just 327 GWh. This shift highlights Albania’s enhanced self-sufficiency and a more favorable export-oriented energy balance.
Hydropower continues to dominate Albania’s electricity generation landscape, accounting for approximately 93% of total production in the first quarter. This includes 45.7% generated by state-owned hydropower plants and 47.3% from privately owned facilities, illustrating a mixed ownership model that is central to the country’s energy supply.
Domestic consumption of electricity has also risen, reaching 1,954 GWh, which marks a year-on-year growth of 9.1%. This increase indicates a growing internal demand that aligns with both expanded production capabilities and rising exports.
Despite these positive trends, challenges remain in distribution efficiency as electricity network losses have increased by 7.7%, amounting to 515 GWh during the January–March 2026 period compared to 478 GWh a year earlier. This rise in losses signals ongoing issues within the distribution network that could impact overall performance despite strong generation and trade metrics.
