The Albanian Electric Power Corporation (KESH) has opened a new procurement procedure worth around $23 million for the operation and maintenance for the next two years of the thermal generation assets located in Vlora, known as the two floating TPPs or “the two tigers”.
According to the published notice, the procedure is open, above the upper monetary limit, and has as its object “Operation and Maintenance of the Thermal Generating Asset, Vlora”. The limit fund is set at 1.855 billion lek excluding VAT, or 23.026 million dollars, using the official exchange rate of 80.58 lek per dollar on August 13, 2026.
The contract is expected to have a duration of 731 days, or two years, while interested companies will have until September 15, 2026, 10:00 AM, to submit bids.
The technical tender documents, consulted by ekofin.al, show that the contract is not limited to the routine maintenance of the two thermal power plants. The operator to be selected must provide a comprehensive operation and maintenance service, so that the assets are available and ready for production whenever required.
The terms of reference define, among other things, planned and unplanned maintenance, the provision of consumables and spare parts, reporting, and emergency interventions. The operator must guarantee emergency response 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, immediate mobilization of staff in the event of a breakdown, and the fastest possible return of the plant to operation.
The documentation also defines the obligation for real-time monitoring and control of equipment, remote or on-site restoration of equipment after alarms, as well as the repair or replacement of components that may affect the performance of the power plants.
KESH also requires periodic reporting on operation, performance, maintenance, incidents and operation and maintenance (O&M) itself, practically turning the contract into a complete package for keeping the assets ready.
The two floating TPPs are located in the Triport area, near the Vlora TPP. Technical documents indicate that these are two thermal power plant ships, while the net installed power of the thermal generating assets is around 110 MW.
The new tender comes at a time when the actual role of the “two tigers” in electricity production during 2026 has been minimal. According to the latest data, the two floating thermal power plants have hardly been put into operation during this year, as the need for thermal production has been significantly reduced.
This situation has been influenced by more favorable conditions for domestic energy production. Increased production from hydroelectric power plants, combined with the rapid expansion of photovoltaic capacities, has increased the supply of energy from renewable sources and reduced the need to activate floating thermal power plants.
This is especially important for the “two tigers”, as their production is associated with the use of fuel and, therefore, with a relatively high cost.
Under these conditions, the two assets are looking more like a burden and keeping them in working condition will cost KESH up to 1.85 billion lek excluding VAT for the next two years, if the tender is contracted at the limit fund level. This means that even in a period when the “two tigers” produce little or no energy, their maintenance, personnel, monitoring and technical readiness continue to create a considerable bill for the public energy company. /Ekofin.al