Market activity on Albania’s day-ahead electricity trading platform continued to show a split between physical volumes and financial outcomes in March 2026. ALPEX reported total electricity traded of 165.32 GWh, down 16.3% versus the previous month, while still up 72.2% year-on-year compared with March 2025. For grid planners and renewable developers, the figures underline how price formation and cross-border market coupling can diverge from short-term demand signals.
Day-ahead volumes by bidding zone
Within the March 2026 total, 111.4 GWh was traded for the Kosovo bidding zone and 104.5 GWh was allocated to the Albania bidding zone. The average price across ALPEX reached €96.89/MWh and was recorded uniformly for both bidding zones. This uniform pricing is relevant for operators and counterparties assessing how dispatch outcomes may translate into revenue assumptions for generation portfolios connected to the regional system.
Transaction value strengthens despite lower monthly throughput
Even with a month-on-month volume decline, the total transaction value on ALPEX in March amounted to approximately €15.1 million. That level represented a 48% increase year-on-year, indicating that market value growth outpaced volume growth over the same period. For investors evaluating wind, solar and battery energy storage (BESS) projects, such dynamics can affect forward planning for offtake strategies and operational risk management tied to day-ahead settlement.
ALPEX governance and operating footprint
ALPEX was established in October 2020 by the Albanian Transmission System Operator (OST) together with its Kosovo counterpart KOSTT. The first auction on the Albanian market took place in April 2023, marking the platform’s operational ramp-up within the regional trading framework. Today, ALPEX has 36 members operating across both the Albania and Kosovo bidding zones.
Implications for project readiness and grid modernization
While ALPEX reporting is focused on trading metrics rather than engineering execution, it provides a practical reference point for how market conditions may evolve as new renewable capacity and storage assets come online. Developers preparing EPC documentation, grid connection studies, and commissioning schedules for wind and solar projects can use such signals to stress-test revenue expectations under changing price-volatility patterns. For utilities and transmission stakeholders, sustained value growth alongside volume fluctuations also reinforces the importance of continued market integration work that supports efficient dispatch across bidding zones.
Overall, March 2026 data shows that ALPEX’s day-ahead market delivered lower volumes than February but materially higher value than a year earlier, with uniform average pricing across Albania and Kosovo. With OST and KOSTT backing the platform since its establishment in 2020 and an Albanian auction start in April 2023, ALPEX remains a key reference for regional power trading conditions that can influence investment planning across generation and storage portfolios.