Five international companies, consortiums and joint ventures presented on Wednesday the proposals for the construction of a new port in the area of ​​Porto Romano in Durrës.

The proposals were submitted in a special ceremony by Spanish company Tipsa, the French company Altea GEO Studio, Royal Haskoning DHV based in the Netherlands, the consortium Technital S.p.a, based in Italy, SEED Consulting and Atelier 4 based in Albania, as well as the merger of four companies Artelia, Yuksel Proje, F&M Ingeria and Ice.

Present during the presentation, the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Belinda Balluku said that in the first phase 14 international companies presented interest, while 5 of them were selected.

"This is not just about the port of a small country, but about a port of special regional importance, which aims to change the concept of maritime trade, not only for Albania, but for the entire region. It will reflect the economic development not only in Albania, but also in the Balkans,” Minister Balluku noted.

In the light of the great development experienced by the country, the city of Durrës must turn into a European destination, Balluku noted, adding that the port of Durres will be turned into a tourist destination.

According to her, these two integrated projects (Porto Romano port and Durres port) that cover the entire maritime industry, from the yacht sector, container terminal, minerals, etc., are two important components that should run in parallel.

The Minister also praised the fact that large international companies have chosen to work with Albanian companies.

The winning company will have 6 months to submit the detailed project and then launch another international competition for the construction of the new port of Durres in the Porto Romano area.

In December 2020, the Albanian government and the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Emaar company has signed an agreement for the latter to develop part of Durrës port into a tourist area dedicated to passengers and yachting.

For the transport of goods, the government plans the construction of a new port in nearby Porto Romano. The value of the Emaar investment was said to be Euro 2 billion, the largest ever in Albanian history.

No details were given about the possible start of the project for the transformation of Durrës Port into a tourist complex, the funding sources, or the duration of the works. The project also envisages a host of transformational investments, along the entire perimeter in front of the port, including residential complex, hotels, shopping malls, entertainment facilities, new roads and parks.