On 11 September 2026, the European Union, the French Development Agency (AFD) and Albania marked the launch of the first phase of a major project to upgrade Durrës' wastewater infrastructure in line with EU standards, combining an €85 million EU grant with a €33.4 million sovereign loan from AFD for a total investment of €118 million EEAS Albanian Daily News. Works on the ground are expected to start in 2027 EEAS.
Key takeaways
- Total package is €118 million: €85 million EU grant through the Western Balkans Investment Framework plus a €33.4 million AFD sovereign loan EEAS.
- Implementing agencies are Albania's Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy together with the National Water and Sewerage Agency (AKUK) Albanian Daily News.
- The Durrës wastewater treatment plant will be upgraded to 350,000 population equivalents, with an extra 100,000 people to be connected to sewer networks EEAS.
- Wastewater collection and treatment coverage in Durrës is targeted to rise from an estimated 20% today to 85%, with separate stormwater and wastewater networks added in the historic centre EEAS.
- Construction is scheduled to start in 2027, following several years of EU and AFD preparatory work EEAS.
What happened
AFD CEO Christophe Lecourtier, French Ambassador to Albania Catherine Suard, the Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Albania Ritva Heikkinen, Albania's Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Enea Karakaçi and the Mayor of Durrës Emiriana Sako visited the project site in Durrës to mark the launch EEAS. The EU grant is channelled through the Western Balkans Investment Framework, and AFD is providing the loan side as a sovereign facility to Albania Albanian Daily News. The two financiers and the Albanian authorities have already run two preparatory projects to bring the investment to technical maturity EEAS.
Quoting the EU Delegation's Head of Cooperation, Ritva Heikkinen, the launch is positioned as "one of the EU's largest grant investments in Albania to date" and as a step in addressing "Albania's much larger environment investment needs" EEAS. AFD CEO Christophe Lecourtier framed it as a "flagship project for Durrës" that will "significantly improve wastewater management in one of Albania's most important cities and tourism destinations" EEAS.
According to the EEAS release, only an estimated 20% of Durrës' wastewater is currently treated to EU standards, with the rest contributing to pollution of the Adriatic coast EEAS. The Albanian Daily News echoes the same 20% baseline and the EU accession framing Albanian Daily News. The project is also tied to Chapter 27 of Albania's EU accession negotiations, which covers environment EEAS.
| Item | Value reported |
|---|---|
| Total investment | €118 million |
| EU grant (Western Balkans Investment Framework) | €85 million |
| AFD sovereign loan | €33.4 million |
| Upgraded plant capacity | 350,000 population equivalents |
| Additional people connected to sewerage | 100,000 |
| Target wastewater collection & treatment coverage | 85% (from ~20% today) |
| Construction start | 2027 |
Specification read
The headline number for buyers is the upgraded design capacity of 350,000 population equivalents for the Durrës plant, with a step-change in sewer connections of 100,000 people on top of the existing catchment EEAS. A widely used planning factor for municipal plants is roughly 150–200 litres per person per day (general industry range, not from the sources), which would put the new hydraulic load in the order of 52,500–70,000 m³/day at full build-out, before any tourist-season peaking.
For a coastal Adriatic site of that class, the typical treatment train runs screening and grit removal, primary clarification, biological treatment (commonly A2O, MBBR or MBR depending on footprint and effluent targets), tertiary filtration and UV or chlorination disinfection, with separate stormwater and foul networks in the historic centre as the project specifies EEAS. This event bears on every stage of that train, because the upgrade is sized to move the city from an estimated 20% EU-compliant treatment to 85% coverage rather than a single unit swap EEAS. Procurement routes will be shaped by EU and AFD procurement rules under the Western Balkans Investment Framework and AFD's sovereign-loan procedures (general industry range, not from the sources), so suppliers should expect tender notices tied to AKUK and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy from 2027 Albanian Daily News.
If your plant serves a coastal tourist city of roughly 300,000–400,000 residents with seasonal load swings, BOD typically in the 200–400 mg/L range, and you are being pressed to meet EU bathing-water and Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive limits, this is what the Durrës project signals: an integrated collection-network and plant upgrade funded as a single package, with the financing instrument and EU accession chapter set out up front. Buyers in the same bracket should track Municipal wastewater tenders and the Water Purification equipment category for the screening, biological and tertiary stages that this class of upgrade will require.
FAQ
What is the total value of the Durrës wastewater project?
€118 million in total, made up of an €85 million EU grant through the Western Balkans Investment Framework and a €33.4 million AFD sovereign loan EEAS.
What capacity will the upgraded Durrës plant have?
The plant will be upgraded to 350,000 population equivalents, with an extra 100,000 people connected to the sewer network EEAS.
When will construction start and who runs the project?
Works are expected to start in 2027, implemented by Albania's Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy with the National Water and Sewerage Agency, AKUK Albanian Daily News.
What is the current wastewater treatment coverage in Durrës, and what is the target?
Only an estimated 20% of Durrës' wastewater is currently treated to EU standards; the project targets 85% collection and treatment coverage, plus separate stormwater and foul networks in the historic centre EEAS.
