The Albanian government has launched a tender for electronic charging points throughout the country as a part of the National Action Plan for Energy and Climate in a bid to reduce direct and indirect CO2 emissions and to align with the EU acquis.
There are over 20 such stations in the capital of Tirana, but in other parts of the country, including tourism hotspots, they are hard to find. Currently, municipal vehicles, some buses, police cars, and many private taxis run on electricity, but the uptake of electric cars is somewhat slow.
“AEE has completed a study for the transport sector, for the establishment of the network of electric car chargers, and based on this study, the implementation process and the beginning of the establishment of the network of electric car chargers will be continued,” reads the announcement from the Albanian Energy Efficiency Agency which launched the call.
The stations will be located in Saranda, Gjirokaster, Himara, Vlore, Durres, Velipoje, Shkoder, Korce and at land border points. This will allow tourists easy access to charging points throughout the entire country as the country is focussing on tourism more and more as a leading contributor to the GDP.
Based on the National Action Plan for Energy and Climate in relation to the transport sector, our country has an obligation to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels as well as the environmental pollution that comes from them. For this purpose, the objective of the Albanian government is to install 200 to 300 charging stations by 2025 throughout the country.
The agency said it is collaborating with international institutions and the government to find the necessary funds to realise the potential of the sector in a bid to achieve the national objectives of reducing pollution and emissions.
The project will be implemented in two phases starting with an energy audit and technical implementation project. This audit will determine the reductions resulting from the substitution of fossil fuels, the feasibility of saving electricity compared to fossil fuels and the reduction of pollution resulting from the use of fuels.
In the second phase, the charging points will be constructed. All equipment must be CE certified and to a budget of €766,181 at the current exchange rate, equivalent to 83 million Albanian Lek.
The use of electric cars remains low amongst the general population. Firstly, Albania has the lowest car ownership rate in Europe, with just one in five citizens owning a vehicle, according to official data from the end of 2021. However, the majority of the 539,000 vehicles in circulation are located in the capital, leading to congestion and high levels of pollution.
Secondly, the cost of electric vehicles is too high for many citizens. The average cost of a battery-only electric vehicle is estimated at €55,821, while the average citizen earns around €7,000 a year.
In a bid to increase uptake, the government decided to reimburse registration fees, including for ownership documents, licenses, and plates, but still, electric cars make up just 0.35% of those in the country, with almost all in commercial use.
(Alice Taylor | Exit.al)
Read more with EURACTIV
OSCE reveals nine-point plan to reign in tensions in north Kosovo
Source: euractiv.com
