Albania has plenty of sunshine, but turning it into usable energy is not always straightforward. The country relies heavily on hydropower, while new solar projects are adding to the demands on its electricity network. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has identified transmission bottlenecks and the need for grid improvements. For developers, this raises a practical question: what happens when solar capacity grows faster than the infrastructure needed to carry its electricity? (EBRD)
Batteries offer one response, particularly for balancing supply over shorter periods. But largescale storage can involve substantial investment, and battery supply chains depend on imported materials and equipment. Another option is to convert renewable energy into a fuel that can be stored and transported independently of the grid.
eMethanol is produced using renewable energy, green hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide. Unlike electricity, the resulting liquid can be stored for months and transported using established fuel-handling infrastructure. It has potential uses in industry, shipping, heating and power generation.
Sunthetics AB is developing a solar-fuel platform designed to produce renewable fuels, including eMethanol, alongside dispatchable electricity and industrial heat. The company reports that its technology is undergoing TRL 9 validation, with commercial deployment targeted from 2027. Its pilot in Skutskär, Sweden, has a reported renewable-fuel capacity of 12 tons annually, with an expansion to 500 tonnes planned during 2026. (Sunthetics; Solar Impulse)
This does not mean eMethanol is a better solution for every storage need. Converting electricity into fuel and then back into electricity loses more energy than battery storage. Its advantage lies elsewhere: the ability to store energy for longer periods and move it to customers who need fuel or heat rather than electricity alone.
Albania's solar resources are substantial, with annual solar irradiation reaching approximately 1,500–1,700 kWh per square meter in favorable areas. Investment is already following that potential. The 140 MW Karavasta solar plant began generating electricity in December 2023, showing that utility-scale solar development is underway. (Voltalia)
Yet more generation alone will not resolve local network constraints. A possible next step is a pilot that combines solar production with fuel conversion, allowing energy that cannot be delivered economically through the grid to serve another market. Whether such a project works would depend on available surplus power, access to captured CO₂, fuel demand and production costs.
Technology is only part of the proposal. Under an Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) model, customers could pay for reliable power, heat or fuel rather than purchasing and operating the equipment themselves. The provider would finance and manage the system, taking responsibility for its performance.
For Albanian businesses, this could reduce the initial investment required to adopt unfamiliar technology. Nordic experience in electrolysis, renewable fuels and energy-service contracts could support local partnerships, while Albanian developers and industrial customers would bring knowledge of sites, demand and regulation.
The opportunity now is to test the idea through a carefully designed pilot, supported by commercial partners and clear regulatory arrangements. Albania's grid challenges make it a relevant place to investigate whether solar energy can create value beyond the electricity network. Sunthetics offers one potential route, not a replacement for batteries or grid upgrades, but another way to put renewable energy to work.