The project to rehabilitate water supply and sewage systems and upgrade wastewater treatment in Durrës will be supported by a Euro 80 million grant from the French government, within the framework of the EU-funded Western Balkans Growth Plan.

Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Enea Karakaçi announced after the government meeting that the grant is being provided by the European Union through the Western Balkans Investment Framework.

According to him, the project has a total value of Euro 118 million and includes the rehabilitation of the water supply and sewage systems, as well as the expansion of the wastewater treatment plant in Durrës.

Karakaçi emphasized that the funding is part of the support Albania receives through the European integration process for public infrastructure investments.

“Ultimately, the entire European integration process entails significant investment and grants for the implementation of public infrastructure projects,” the minister stated, describing this as a major investment in the country's infrastructure system. Also, the government approved the expansion of the water supply and sewerage system and the wastewater treatment plant in Durrës - specifically in the Porto Romano, Shkozet, and Spitallë areas - a project that will be supported by a Euro 50 million grant from the European Union.

According to Karakaçi, this project will also be financed under the Western Balkans Growth Plan, with a Euro 50 million grant.

During the Strategic Investment Committee meeting, the minister noted that two other significant projects in the fields of infrastructure and energy efficiency were also approved.

One of these is a project to improve the water supply system in the Municipality of Tirana, which entails constructing approximately 40 kilometers of new pipeline networks, rehabilitating 10 kilometers of existing pipelines, and installing smart metering systems. According to him, the other project focuses on increasing energy efficiency in 50 public schools. The investment involves school renovations and the installation of solar panels, in cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Furthermore, work on the first two phases of the Elbasan bypass road has started, following the signing of contracts, while funding for the project's subsequent phases will extend into the 2027 budget, Karakaçi said. Speaking to the media after government meeting regarding the progress of the works, Karakaçi stated that the contracts for the first two phases have been signed and work is underway on the ground.