page_title: Economy of Albania
section_title: Energy
hierarchical_section_title: Economy of Albania / Infrastructure / Energy
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: StauseeBeiFierze2014-2
context_page_description: The economy of Albania went through a process of transition from a centralized economy to a market-based economy on the principles of the free market. Albania is an upper-middle-income country and a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, World Trade Organization, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation.
  Albania's economy is based on the service, agriculture, and industrial sectors. The country has some natural resources, and the economy is mainly bolstered by agriculture, food processing, lumber, oil, cement, chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydro power, tourism, textile industry, and petroleum extraction. The strongest sectors are energy, mining, metallurgy, agriculture, and tourism. Primary industrial exports are clothing, chrome.
  Tourism has been a notable source of national income, particularly during the summer months. With over 3.8 million tourists annually, tourism generates revenue in excess of €1.5 billion. Albania is ranked among the top 25 most popular tourist destinations in Europe, and was voted one of the world's top tourism destination in 2014 by The New York Times and Lonely Planet.
context_section_description: Albania is dependent on Hydroelectricity and the largest producer of Hydroelectricity in the world, with a percentage of 100%. It is host to five Hydroelectric power stations and a plant including the Fierza, Koman, Skavica and Vau i Dejës which are situated on the Drin river, due to its significant role for the production of electricity in the country. The Albanian Devoll Hydropower company is currently built two hydroelectricity plants on the Devoll river near Banjë and Moglicë. The two plants are expected to be completed in 2016 and 2018. After its completion, it will produce 729 GWh annually, increasing the electricity production in Albania by almost 17%.
  The construction of 1.2 billion dollar AMBO pipeline was planned to begin in 2007. This would connect the port of Burgas in Bulgaria with the port of Vlora in Albania. It is expected to ship 750,000 barrels (119,000 m³) to 1,000,000 barrels (160,000 m³) of crude oil each day. However, the Trans Adriatic Pipeline seems more likely to get started. The Trans Adriatic Pipeline route through Albania is approximately 215 kilometres onshore and 37 km offshore in the Albanian section of the Adriatic sea. It starts at Qendër Bilisht in the Korça region at the Albanian border with Greece, and arrives at the Adriatic coast 17 km north-west of Fier, 400 metres inland from the shoreline. 
  A compressor station will be built near Fier, and an additional compressor is planned near Bilisht should capacity be expanded to 20 billion cubic metres (bcm). Eight block valve stations and one landfall station will be built along its route. In the mountainous areas, approximately 51 km of new access roads will be constructed while 41 km of existing roads will be upgraded, 42 bridges refurbished and three new bridges built. In the summer of 2015, TAP started the construction and rehabilitation of access roads and bridges along the pipeline's route in Albania. The work is expected to be completed during 2016.
  Albania presently has no nuclear power plants. In 2007 the government discussed constructing a nuclear power plant at Durrës. In addition to meeting the domestic energy demands, the plan foresaw electricity export to neighboring Balkan countries and Italy via an underwater cable, which would link the Italian and Albanian electricity networks. In April 2009, Albania and Croatia announced a plan to jointly construct a 1,500 MWe nuclear power plant on the shores of Lake Skadar (Lake Shkodër), near Albania's border with Montenegro. However, as of 2016, Albania have no plans to build any nuclear power plants in the foreseeable future.
caption: The Fierza Reservoir was formed as a result of the construction of the Fierza Hydroelectric Power Station in 1978.
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