April 19 (SeeNews) - Albania has inaugurated its first waste-to-energy plant, a project worth 26 million euro ($27.9 million), the environment ministry said.
The plant will be able to generate 2.85 MW of electricity per hour, environment minister Lefter Koka has said at Tuesday's inauguration ceremony, according to a statement from the ministry.
The new plant is located in Elbasan, in central Albania. It was built through a public-private partnership with local company Albtek Energy.
Some 30% of the cost of the project was financed from the state budget, while the rest was invested by Albtek Energy, Koka said.
The waste-to-energy plant will extend the lifespan of Elbasan's landfill to more than 80 years.
Tirana-headquartered Albtek Energy was established in July 2014.
Elbasan, with a population of around 128,000, is one of Albania's most polluted cities.