The Albanian government said it has approved a request by Kukes Airport's owner Global Technical Mechanics and local construction firm Bami to develop a 12-MW photovoltaic (PV) plant in the airport's area in the north-eastern village of Shtiqen.

The plant is expected to become operational within three years, the government said in a press release on Thursday.

The new project builds upon the existing concession contract signed between the government and the Global Technical Mechanics-Bami consortium in 2019, aiming to turn an existing airfield into an alternative airport to Albania’s main airport in Tirana.

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy and the National Agency of Natural Resources have the right to exercise general supervision with 3-month deadlines during the implementation, commissioning, and operation, to verify that the progress of the works, quality, conformity, and operation are by the general implementation program and project documentation.

The company “Global Technical Mechanics” has the obligation to periodically (every three months) submit to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy and the National Agency of Natural Resources information on the progress of the construction of the photovoltaic power plant.

This contract defines the rights and obligations of the parties for the implementation of this project, penalties in case of non-implementation, as well as other issues related to its implementation.

The company will provide, free of charge, in the form of a royalty, to the ministry responsible for energy the amount of electricity, at the rate of 2 (two) % of the annual amount of electricity production or its conversion into monetary value.

In the event of conversion into monetary value, the amount must be paid entirely into the state budget. Where applicable, a part of the production of the energy generating source must be sold to the public supplier, in accordance with the legislation in force.

Kukes International Airport Zayed, built with investments from the United Arab Emirates' company Emaar Properties, operated its first flight in April 2021. The airport was closed in 2023 following the withdrawal of Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air just a year after starting operations there. This left the facility with only a few flights operated by Turkish-Albanian company Air Albania, which subsequently also suspended operations.

In December, Albanian air traffic operator Albcontrol launched a tender for a feasibility study on Kukes Airport's air traffic infrastructure. The study will assess cost-effective solutions, system harmonization, and the feasibility of managing air traffic control from a single integrated center.