TIRANA, Oct. 20 – An Albanian joint venture has been announced the winner of a 35-year concession to build and operate two small hydropower plants in the southeastern region of Korà§a. An announcement by the Public Procurement Agency says a joint venture between Osmani sh.p.k (Ltd) and Fani Smo. sh.p.k bid around 270 million lek (Euro 1.9 million) in a tender held last July for the Selca 2 and Mesmal HPPs, being the sole bidder.
The winning bidder expects to make the 3.8 MW HPPs operational in 28 months with electricity generation 16.7 GW.
Back in late 2013, the Socialist Party-led government cancelled tender procedures and bonuses awarded to the concession of these two HPPs by the former outgoing Democratic Party-led government in the transition period after it lost the general elections.
Since 2007, the Albanian government has awarded more than 400 concession contracts to private companies, of which only 70 have already been made operational.
The launch of the Ashta hydropower plants in late 2012 and the operation of several new smaller HPPs, has more than doubled electricity generated by private and concession HPPs in Albania, according to a report by energy regulator, ERE.
