TIRANA, Jan 12 /ATA/ – Albania’s electricity production, largely generated from renewable sources, is exempt from the European Union’s carbon tax, Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Belinda Balluku said on Monday, citing the European Commission.
Speaking at the presentation of a wind power project in the northern town of Tropojë, Balluku said Albania has made strategic investments in sustainable energy, including hydropower, wind and solar projects. The event was attended by Prime Minister Edi Rama and the U.S. Embassy’s chargé d’affaires in Tirana, Nancy VanHorn.
“We are no longer talking about plans on paper, but about installed capacity, billions of euros in foreign investment and projects that are already operational,” Balluku said. “As a result, the carbon tax on energy originating from Albania, according to the European Commission, is zero.”
She said Albania’s policies and investments had ensured the integration of its energy market with that of the European Union.
The EU’s carbon border tax came into force on January 1 and applies to non-EU countries exporting to the bloc. Under the scheme, electricity producers outside the EU face a carbon levy on exports.
Albania, which generates all of its electricity from renewable sources, will not be subject to the tax, giving it a competitive advantage over regional producers that rely on fossil fuels and will face higher export costs.
/j.p/u.sh/
