European Union and France invest €118 million to provide Durrës with a new wastewater treatment system
The EU, the French Development Agency and Albania today marked the launch of the first phase of a major project to upgrade Durrës’ wastewater infrastructure in line with EU standards, improving sanitation services for citizens while bringing Albania closer to EU accession.
This investment combines an €85 million EU grant, provided through the Western Balkans Investment Framework, with a €33.4 million sovereign loan from the French Development Agency (AFD). The project will be implemented bythe Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, in cooperation with the National Water and Sewerage Agency (AKUK).
AFD CEO Christophe Lecourtier, Ambassador of France to Albania Catherine Suard and the Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Albania Ritva Heikkinen, together with the Minister of Infrastructures and Energy Enea Karakaçi and the Mayor of Durrës Emiriana Sako, visited the project site in Durrës. Works are expected to start in 2027.
EU Delegation to Albania
Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Albania Ritva Heikkinen said:
“This is one of the EU’s largest grant investments in Albania to date, and we look forward to seeing its impact on the lives of Durrës residents and on the health of the Adriatic coast. Upgrading wastewater infrastructure to EU standards is an important part of Albania’s EU accession process and requires significant investment. This project is a significant step forward in addressing Albania’s much larger environment investment needs. The EU stands ready to support Albania in preparing mature projects and mobilising the financing needed to deliver them.
AFD CEO Christophe Lecourtier:
“We are very proud to launch this flagship project for Durrës, which will significantly improve wastewater management in one of Albania’s most important cities and tourism destinations. By upgrading the wastewater treatment plant to serve up to 340,000 people, expanding collection and treatment, and bringing services closer to EU standards, this investment will deliver tangible benefits for citizens, public health and the protection of the Adriatic coast.
It is a powerful example of what Team Europe can achieve when the European Union, France through AFD and Albania work hand in hand. This project marks an important milestone in our partnership with Albania, and France, through AFD, will continue to stand alongside the country in building a greener, healthier and more sustainable future.”
Currently, only an estimated 20% of Durrës’ wastewater is treated in accordance with EU standards, contributing to significant pollution of the Adriatic coast and wider environmental, economic and health costs. The project will address these challenges by increasing wastewater collection and treatment to 85%, and establishing separate stormwater and wastewater networks in the historic city centre. An additional 100.000 people will be connected to sewage networks in Durres, as the capacity of the Durrës wastewater treatment plant will be upgraded to 350,000 population equivalents.
The project will also contribute directly to Albania’s alignment with European environmental standards under Chapter 27 of the EU accession negotiations. Its launch follows several years of preparatory work. In the spirit of Team Europe, the EU, France through AFD and Albania have jointly implemented two preparatory projects, bringing the investment to technical maturity and paving the way for its implementation.