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Floods in Durrës/ Journalist denounces the project for the new hydroelectric dam

2026-01-15 20:26:00, Aktualitet CNA

Floods in Durrës/ Journalist denounces the project for the new

Journalist Julian Hoxhaj has denounced that the construction of the new dam in Durrës, which cost 9.7 million euros, was based on a project that was not drafted according to engineering standards.

According to Hoxhaj, the Municipality of Durres had received a fund of 820 thousand euros from the government to draft the study and project of the hydropower plant, with an estimated deadline of 12 months. However, the project was presented and approved by the Municipal Council within just 20 days, leaving doubts about the seriousness of the study.

Subsequently, three other companies won the tender for the construction of the dam, using the dubiously prepared project. The result, according to Hoxhaj, is that the dam construction is uneven and cannot properly draw water for the city of Durres.

The Durrës Prosecutor's Office has launched investigations into this matter, while an engineering expert will have to verify construction standards and the project's compliance with reality.

This case raises serious concerns about the management of public funds and tendering procedures in the coastal city.

"The earthquake was used by the Municipality of Durrës to open a tender for the design of a new hydropower plant that was supposed to be moved a few hundred meters away from the hydropower plant located in Porto Romano. The Albanian government approved a fund of about 820,000 euros. This fund was made available to the Municipality of Durrës and in June 2021, the Municipality of Durrës, after announcing the tender, also signed a contract with several companies, which were three companies in this case, which would have to draft a project for a period of about 12 months, i.e. for one year.

These three companies should do a proper, engineering study, and then present it to the municipality and tell them that this is the study, this is the plan. We have done the study and so the new reservoir should be built in such a way that Durrës, 12 months. 12 months, the whole project, the analysis of the levels, where they should come from, how much they should absorb.

The actual hydrological study, the sewer system, the slope, so it was a long time that geo-experts, we are talking about engineers, yes, should have been hired to do this. So what's happening? That here it is, that is, uh, how to say, everything is going backwards for these people. So, now not even God allows them to continue their affairs or their filth is being exposed. Even God, we are getting into theology a little, but the truth is this.

Just a few days after the municipality had announced the 820,000 euro tender for the study and design and drafting of the financial estimate for the construction of the new hydropower plant, the Municipality of Durrës convened the Municipal Council and presented a project along with the estimate in July, so, one, 20 days after it was, the contract was signed with the three winning companies, 20 days later the municipality convened the Municipal Council and submitted the project, saying, here we have the project, within 20 days, the project was done, so out of 12 months, it was done in 19 days, because on the 20th the Municipal Council met to approve it.

So, up to this point, you understand what madness has happened in Durrës and this is the tip of the iceberg, so. The three companies are given a year to get all the space they need to do the study and in the end, the municipality goes and the municipality's experts say that we have done the study, the project is ready and three months later, in October 2021, the municipality also announces the famous tender that we are discussing and which is already public, of 9.7 million euros for the construction of the hydropower plant.

Three other companies also win.

Now, what happens? They take the project, it is assumed that these three companies take the project that was almost done in 19 days by three other companies that were involved in the design study. And they start implementing it. It has resulted so far and now it remains to be verified since the Durrës prosecutor's office has started investigations and the engineers will have to go. It has resulted that the construction of the hydropower plant is at a different level compared to the level that it should have to draw all the water from Durrës", said journalist Julian Hoxhaj./ CNA