Energy security in Albania – towards energy self-sufficiency 2030

By MSc Enxhi TERIHATI

Abstract

The war between Russia and Ukraine has started to have its biggest effects on the most used products by people around the world. The rise in energy prices has been the main headline
of this war. In addition to the conventional regional and global security threats due to Russian aggression against Ukraine, the world is facing the unconventional threat of energy security. The energy produced in Russia is used as the main supplier for the economies of many bordering or non-bordering states, turning this product into a lever used by Russia to fuel its war and into a source of conflict among European allies and beyond. In this context, Albania cannot be immune to the skyrocketing energy prices. On the other hand, seeing Albania’s favorable situation in diversifying the necessary energy for the daily activities of families and businesses in our country, the government has undertaken the initiative to turn Albania into a net energy exporter until 2030. This means that Albania will no longer be so energy-dependent on fluctuations in prices on global stock exchanges, or dependent on the use of temporary regional initiatives such as “Open Balkans” to secure supply from other countries in the region but will become a country that achieves energy self-sufficiency in the coming decade. This work aims to highlight the threat to national security from the energy crisis and to use quantitative and qualitative data to understand whether this initiative is achievable in the years to come.
Keywords: energy security, sustainable development, green renewable energy, Western Balkans.