TIRANA, Jan. 25 – A Slovakia-led joint venture has been announced the winner of a tender to build a yacht port in the existing northern Shengjin port under a 35-year concession contract, the Public Procurement Agency announced in its latest bulletin this week.
The joint venture is composed of Slovakia-based operators Ferik Mazreku and Adriatik As and Albania-based construction companies Velipoja Investment Project SHA and Ndertuesi SHPK.
Adriatik As, led by businessman Feriz Mazreku of Kosovo origin, is a Slovakia-based company operating in the stone trade, primarily granite and marble.
The transport ministry, which is the contracting authority, says the joint venture bid to invest 730 million lek (€5.2 mln) in the 35-year built-own-transfer contract in the Shengjin beach which has emerged as the top summer destination in northern Albania, especially for Kosovo tourists.
The joint venture, which was the sole bidder in a tender held last October, will have to complete the contract negotiation with the transport ministry in 3 months.
The port is expected to be built in an area of 31 km2 offshore and about 12 km2 onshore.
The Shengjin port is currently used only for freight transport after an attempt to resume passenger transport in mid-2015 proved a failure due to little traffic.
Last October, the Albanian government also signed a concession contract on the construction of a yacht port in Durres, the country’s second largest city and home to the biggest port.
Albania Bay Marine, a consortium of Albanian and foreign companies, plans to invest $15 million for the port construction.
The Albanian government has also awarded concession contracts for the construction of yacht ports in Synej in Kavaja, and Bunec in the Albanian Riviera. Yacht ports have already been made operational in Saranda and Orikum, southern Albania, serving Albania’s emerging cruise ship tourism, which attracts thousands of visitors especially in the country’s biggest port of Durres.
