TIRANA, Jan 12 /ATA/ – Albania has largely completed its section of a power transmission line linking the country with North Macedonia, Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Belinda Balluku said on Monday.
Speaking at the presentation of a wind farm project in Tropojë, Balluku said Albania had made significant investments in expanding its transmission network and had now connected its power system with all neighbouring countries.
The event was attended by Prime Minister Edi Rama and U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Tirana Nancy VanHorn.
Balluku said she expected North Macedonia to speed up work on its side of the interconnection so the line could be brought into operation as soon as possible, ensuring continuity along the so-called Corridor VIII energy route.
“Albania is today among the best-connected countries in the region in terms of power transmission, providing strong guarantees for foreign investors developing wind and solar projects, as they have assured access to the free energy market not only in the Balkans but also in Europe,” Balluku said.
She added that investments in transmission were not limited to strengthening the domestic grid but also aimed at creating new strategic links with Europe.
Balluku said work was also under way on plans for a subsea power cable connecting Albania directly with Italy, positioning the country as an important regional energy hub.
She said the energy sector had received strong international recognition and remained one of the most positively assessed areas in Albania’s EU integration process, citing the European Commission’s 2026 progress report.
Balluku added that investments also include studies of new technologies such as pumped-storage hydropower projects on the Drin cascade and at the Moglicë hydropower plant, which could increase Albania’s generation capacity by about 1,600 megawatts.
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