The port city of Durres is located in Spitalle region in north Albania. The Albanian Government launched a tender for the construction of a 100 MW solar power plant in this area.
Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Belinda Belluku said that bids can submitted by 1 February 2021, while the concession contract is expected to be signed in April. The ceiling price is set to 55 euros/MW and the construction is expected to start next summer.
This is the third tender for the construction of large-scale solar power plants launched by the Government. In the first tender launched in 2018, the concession for the construction of the facility near Vlore in southwestern Albania was awarded to India Power Corporation. Estimated cost of the project is around 70 million euros. The winning bid provides electricity at the price of 59.9 euros/MWh for 50 MW installed capacity for 15 years, as well as additional 50 MW of installed capacity for which no subsidies apply. However, there were no activities related to this project in the past two years. The second tender was concluded in August, when the Government signed a concession agreement with French Voltalia for the construction of 100 MW solar power plant in Karavasta, a project estimated to 100 million euros. Voltalia is obliged to sell half the electricity produced at the solar power plant to Albanian electricity distribution company OSHEE at the price of 24.89 euros/MWh for a period of 15 years, less than half the price ceiling of 55 euros, while the remaining half will be sold in the market. The concession agreement is valid for 30 years.
