Hydropower Potential in the Western Balkans

Renewable energy, as of 2019, accounts for approximately 24% of global power generation. In the European Union, institutions have set targets to achieve a share of 27% renewables in final energy consumption, a portion of which is focused on hydropower renewable energy. These objectives are even more so important for developing countries in western Balkans, which of many, still rely on fossil fuels in all their needs across the energy spectrum. In this article, a description statement will report on key identifiers in hydro-power potentials in the six western Balkan countries (WB6). Although the WB6 region is small, the current utilization of hydropower varies from less than to 10% in Kosovo to more than 95% in Albania. The other countries of the region (Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, and Macedonia) fall between this spectrum. This report will also discuss and assess the optimal potential of each country's capability to improve and develop the distribution of renewable energy production (locally and inter-Balkan) while accentuating energy production and environmental aspects around the requirements laid out in the Kyoto protocol.