The Western Balkans are the newfound hotspot for solar PV energy investments amongst European countries

/LONDON, December 12, 2022, 11:00 GMT, Renewable Market Watch™/

This market report offers an incisive and reliable overview of the solar photovoltaic power sector of Western Balkan countries for the period 2023 ÷ 2032. Newly installed PV capacity in this region will exceed several GWs in the next 5 years. The number of fully permitted and ready-to-build projects is promptly increasing. The rooftop solar PV market segment in many countries is not developed and is forecasted to score significant growth soon. Energy demand in the region is constantly increasing, according to the Western Balkans Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Market Outlook 2023÷2032. Some countries can exceed their electricity production demand needs with the support of renewable energy. Furthermore, some Western Balkan countries are currently in various EU membership joining statuses.

The Western Balkans are the newfound hotspot for solar PV energy investments amongst European countries. Between 2011 and 2021, the Western Balkans increased their solar capacity more than 8-fold (from 0.27GW in 2011). They became one of the fastest-growing regions in Europe, with a cumulative installed solar PV capacity of 2.19GW for 2021 (a 22.5 % increase from 2020). The maturing German, Spanish and Italian markets allowed investors to look for new opportunities in the Western Balkans region.

In electricity production, coal is the dominant energy source in Western Balkans, accounting for between 43 per cent to over 80 per cent in some countries, followed by hydropower with a share of between 15 per cent to over 85 per cent in some countries. In those countries with a predominant share of large coal reserves, an increase in natural gas use and renewable energy deployment can be expected due to ecological requirements and the need to reduce CO2 emissions.

The Western Balkan countries are home to Europe's most polluting coal power plants, according to the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL). Annual emissions from the 16 coal power plants (16 GW) in the Western Balkans are almost as high as from the 296 existing coal plants (156 GW) in the EU-28. Coal power plants in the Western Balkans cause damage to health beyond national borders due to the long-distance travel of pollutants in the air. The health damage caused by combustion in coal plants is not limited to the power plant's proximity. Some pollutants in exhaust clouds from the smokestack can be transported to neighbouring European countries and beyond. This means that plants in the Western Balkans can significantly contribute to overall air pollution on the continent. Controlling air pollution from coal power plants is a huge opportunity to save 6,460 lives and 2,724 mil EUR in healthcare costs in the next decade. Implementing more stringent environmental rules in the Western Balkans is an opportunity to reduce the number of premature deaths and improve people's health not only in the Western Balkan region but across Europe.

The Platform Initiative in Support of Coal Regions in Transition in Western Balkans and Ukraine, created in September 2019, will assist the coal regions of the Western Balkans in developing and implementing comprehensive policies that enable inclusive strategies for transitioning to low-carbon energy systems. It brings together international institutions and partners in both areas to deliver knowledge, share lessons learned from regions in the European Union and beyond, and provide planning support and financing.

The initiative was established after Western Balkan countries committed to moving towards clean energy in the Podgorica Joint Statement of 21 February 2019. The establishment of the Platform mirrors a similar approach within the EU, where a “Just Transition Platform” supports the implementation of the Just Transition Mechanism. This pledges at least €100 billion in investments over the period 2021-2027 to support workers and citizens of regions where high-carbon assets are located.

The EBRD’s Green Economy Transition (GET) approach 2021-25 aims to increase the Bank’s green financing to more than half its annual business volume by 2020 while helping countries where it works build low carbon and resilient economies. In line with the Paris Agreement and the GET approach, the EBRD’s own Just Transition Initiative, launched this year, aims to ensure the benefits of a green economy transition are shared while protecting vulnerable countries, regions and people from falling behind. It will do this by combining its expertise in green economy investments with its focus on economic inclusion.

This report provides a complete picture of the market situation, dynamics, current issues, and prospects. More than 250 pages of valuable information will be foundin these unique, in-depth analysis of the Western Balkans solar market. You will receive an overview of how COVID-19 (Coronavirus) will impact it. With comprehensive market data, this report brings clear and concise insights to help investors in their decision-making process. As 2021 and 2022 were challenging years for the photovoltaic industry, making the right decisions during 2023 and the next few years is limited. A fast-changing market environment requires relevant and accurate information. For your convenience, we offer an opportunity for orders with customised report content.

Non-hydro renewables such as solar and wind have a limited presence in the energy mix of Western Balkan countries but have steadily increased in the past few years. The region has a significant transformation potential towards a low-carbon energy system, according to the Renewable Market Watch™. Only Albania has no reliance on coal, with the generation coming exclusively from hydro. In contrast, half of Bosnia and Herzegovina's installed capacity is based on coal-fired power plants, rising to almost two-thirds in Serbia and almost 100 per cent in Kosovo.

Large-scale investments in renewable energy projects provide alternative power sources to traditional coal, and work is being carried out to modernise the district heating networks across the region. In the Western Balkans Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Market: Outlook 2023÷2032, more than 135 solar and wind projects across the region are featured, but some of the most important have been financed with the EBRD's support.

More substantial efforts towards further development and reduction of administrative barriers of governments of Western Balkan countries will make the solar sector more productive and competitive and accelerate its evolution. As a result, the whole community will benefit from the increasing possibility that solar photovoltaic energy will be able to contribute substantially to the Western Balkans countries' electricity generation by 2032.

Reasons to buy this market report are, but are not limited to:

• Overview of the political and economic environment of the Western Balkans
• The solar resource potential of Western Balkan countries
• Estimation of the COVID-19 impact and the military conflict in Ukraine on the Western Balkans solar power markets
• Over 80 charts, tables, and maps
• Overview of Western Balkans Photovoltaic Market Development 2012 ÷ 2032
• Grid-connected photovoltaic power installations
• Future market trends and planned solar photovoltaic projects for 2022 ÷ 2032
• Market prices of fully permitted and operational photovoltaic power projects
• Legal and energy regulatory framework for renewable projects in Western Balkan countries
• Key companies and competitive landscape in the photovoltaic sector
• Review of most relevant financing and supporting incentives
• SWOT Analysis (detailed in 5 pages)

For more information about the solar power market in Western Balkans, including full contact details of solar project owners and developers, you may read here: Western Balkans Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Market Outlook 2023÷2032

For a better understanding of the benefits of using our reports, you may read here: Benefit List - Reports of Renewable Market Watch

To download the executive summary brochure with sample pages for the solar sector, please access from here: Western Balkans Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Market Outlook 2023 - 2032- Sample

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