Vlorë floating thermal plants (Tiger 1 and Tiger 3): KESH emergency lease from Excelerate and Renco (2022)
Status: Reported as idle as of Nov 2024 (GEM); 2025-2026 status not found.
Summary
In early 2022 KESH launched an expression-of-interest call for a mobile oil-fired plant of about 110-130 MW. The offer from Excelerate Energy (USA) and Renco SpA (Italy) was accepted. Under the terms the plant would transfer to KESH at the end of the lease. The lease value is reported differently by different sources: about 45 million USD (about 41.4 million EUR) per Transparency International, and about 336 million EUR (Faktoje) or about 330 million USD (Citizens.al) for the two ships over two years including energy production. Global Energy Monitor reports that as of November 2024 the two plants had produced no power. Environmental groups sued to annul the lease. No prosecutor or SPAK file is found in this round.
Key facts
- KESH expression-of-interest call early 2022 for 110-130 MW mobile plant (per Gem/Citizens excerpts).
- Winners: Excelerate Energy and Renco SpA.
- Lease value figures differ: 45 million USD (Transparency); 336 million EUR and about 330 million USD (Faktoje and Citizens, two-year total).
- Citizens.al estimated cost of about 121 USD per MWh for production, up to about 200 USD with rental and maintenance (engineer cited by Citizens).
- As of Nov 2024 (GEM), the plants had produced no power.
The record
Four lists kept apart on purpose: what is established, what is only alleged, what is still open, and what those concerned said.
What is proven (2)
Established by documents or official records, as stated in the research. A recorded charge or indictment proves only that the accusation was made.
- KESH leased the two floating plants from the Excelerate-Renco consortium (multiple sources).
- The plants were reported as not producing power as of November 2024 (GEM).
What is alleged (1)
Accusations, not findings. Those accused are presumed innocent.
- AllegationThat the lease and related tenders were irregular (Transparency case and Citizens reporting; not confirmed in full text opened).
Allegations and who made them (2)
Each line is an allegation as recorded, with the person or body that made it where the record names them.
- AllegationTransparency International's CEPI database lists a contract for energy assets worth about 41 million EUR as under investigation for irregularities (title only seen in secondary report).
- AllegationCitizens.al reported on 2024 tenders for Tiger 1 and Tiger 3 worth about 13 million EUR with no work done (based on the headline only seen in secondary report).
Open questions (4)
- Exact lease value and whether it is 45 million USD or a multi-year total of about 336 million EUR.
- Current status of the lease, the transfer of ownership to KESH and any court outcome of the environmental suit.
- Who evaluated the expression of interest and whether it was competitive.
- 2024 tender values (13 million EUR) and who won them.
Responses (1)
Responses of the people and organisations concerned, as recorded.
- Not found in the sources opened.
Figures
Money trail →Floating plant lease value (Transparency: 45 million USD, about 41.4 million EUR)
€41,420,000
concessionSource label: Under investigationStated definition: Figure reported by Transparency International for the lease; conflicts with 336m EUR two-year total from Faktoje; not reconciled
Date: 2022 · Payer: KESH · Payee: Excelerate Energy / Renco
- Transparency International CEPI (excerpt) (opens in a new tab)Transparency International · 2022 · ngo · EN
Floating plants: two-year package (Faktoje figure, not reconciled)
€336,000,000
concessionSource label: Under investigationStated definition: Faktoje figure as seen in excerpt; Citizens.al gives about 330 million USD; conflicting
Date: 2022-2024 · Payer: KESH · Payee: Excelerate Energy / Renco
- Faktoje (excerpt via search) (opens in a new tab)Faktoje · 2022 · journalism · EN
Timeline
Full timeline →Government
KESH call for mobile oil-fired plant (110-130 MW) won by Excelerate and Renco
KESH launches an expression of interest in early 2022; winners Excelerate Energy and Renco SpA; ownership transfers to KESH at lease end (per excerpts).
Other
Global Energy Monitor: Vlorë Tiger 1 and Tiger 3 floating without producing power
GEM reports the two floating plants had produced no electricity as of November 2024; environmental groups had sued to annul the lease.
Connections
- Hypothesis→Vlorë thermal power plant: 2012 arbitration between KESH and Mire Engineering (older case missing from dataset)Source label: Unverified
Repeated stranded-capacity pattern at Vlorë (see hypothesis h1)
Evidence: Both the 2012 idle plant and the 2022-2024 floating plants were reported unproductive.
Hypotheses
Possible explanations that connect this record with other findings. They are not findings; each lists the evidence for and against.
- Source label: Unverified
Vlorë power capacity: repeated stranded-capacity contracts linked to the same state energy buyer
Two Vlorë thermal projects, the 2009-2012 Mire plant and the 2022 Tiger floating plants, both ended with KESH paying large sums for capacity that was reported idle. If the pattern reflects weak procurement oversight rather than chance, it would fit the KLSH finding that the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy led abuse cases in 2022 (existing event ev-2022-11-24-klsh-ministry-first).
Evidence for
- Tirana Times 2012: plant idle about two years over fuel costs; contractor claim 66m EUR (OFFICIALLY_REPORTED).
- GEM as of Nov 2024: Tiger 1 and 3 had produced no power (OFFICIALLY_REPORTED).
- Existing dataset: KLSH Nov 2022 audit lists the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy first for abuses.
Evidence against
- The sources do not show the same people or companies in both projects; Mire and Excelerate-Renco are different firms.
- The 2012 dispute is a contract dispute with a court or arbitration process, not an allegation of corruption.
- Fuel-price and cooling-system explanations are given for the idle periods.
Sources for this record
Every source the research cites for this record, grouped by its source label. 6 sources.
Source label: Officially reportedOfficially reported · 1 source
- Publisher
- GEM
- Date
- Nov 2024
Source label: Under investigationUnder investigation · 4 sources
- Publisher
- Transparency International
- Date
- 2022
- Publisher
- Citizens.al
- Date
- 7 Feb 2024
- Publisher
- Citizens.al
- Date
- 22 Aug 2023
- Publisher
- Faktoje
- Date
- 2022
Source label: UnverifiedUnverified · 1 source
- Publisher
- Tirana Times
- Date
- 9 Nov 2012