Albania launches tender for construction of new Porto Romano port
An international tender was launched on Tuesday for construction of a new commercial port in Porto Romano, Durres, one of the most strategic projects for Albania and the region designed to significantly boost Albania's maritime capabilities, according to AMAN Alliance.
The Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku said in her remarks during a ceremony in Durres that 15 international companies, including five leading European companies, are taking part in the international tender for construction of the new port.
Balluku noted that the new cargo port, in addition to boosting cooperation with Kosovo, North Macedonia and other countries in the region through the railway with two dry ports in Prishtina and Struga, is expected to turn Durrës into a maritime hub and one of the strategic ports in the Mediterranean.
The Infrastructure and Energy Minister stated that the investment projects will provide Durres and Vlora with commercial ports, while investments are being planned in the ports of Saranda and Lezhe.
Plans include a port that is twice as deep as current facilities and a container terminal three times larger than existing ones. The new infrastructure will also feature dedicated areas for law enforcement and will help spur further regional development.
The ambitious Durres port design as a project integrated with the Durrës-Prishtina railway project and the dry port in Prishtina, will radically transform not only the trade infrastructure between Albania and Kosovo, but also the regional economic gravity, turning Durrës into one of the strategic gateways to the Mediterranean economy.
The new Porto-Romano port will cover an area of 400 hectares, with a capacity of two million containers and around 50 million metric tonnes. The port is also expected to handle more than one million ferry passengers.
