Report Overview
Devoll Hydropower Sh.A. (DHP), a wholly owned company of Statkraft AS Group, is undertaking the hydropower projects on Devoll River in South Albania.
The project involves the construction of three hydropower plants with a total installed capacity of approximately 256MW and their total annual production will be approximately 800GWh. The three hydropower plants (HPP) are named as Banje HPP, Kokel HPP, and Moglica HPP.
Moglica HPP called as an upper plant in the development, utilizes a head of 300m along, 22km long stretch of Devoll River with 150m high Moglice rock fill dam. The Moglice Power Plant will receive its water through a 10.7km long tunnel from the Moglice reservoir.
The Moglice reservoir is planned to be equipped with two Francis turbine units having a combined capacity of 183MW and an average annual energy production of 450GWh. The Moglice reservoir covering around 7,210,000m2 with a power density of 23.745W/m2 includes a 900m headrace tunnel and related infrastructure.
Moglice HPP is developed in the area of Moglice, Lekas and Gore communes in Korce District and Lenie commune in Gramsh District.
Kokel HPP is located in the narrow canyon in the middle of the Devoll Valley. It is the second and the smallest power plant of the Devoll Hydropower Project. Kokel Dam comprises an approximately 50m high combined concrete and rock-fill dam with a fixed crest spillway. Kokel HPP utilizes a head between 350 and 295m above sea level. The Kokel reservoir receives its water from Moglice HPP and has a storage capacity of 19 million m3. It creates a reservoir with a surface area of 0.85km2, an area comparable to 120 football fields. Two Francis turbine units will be installed in HPP Kokel and the power plant will have an installed capacity of approximately 38MW and will generate yearly an average of approximately 100GWh.
The Kokel reservoir covering around 710,000m2 with a power density of 50.986W/m2 includes a 300m headrace tunnel and related infrastructure. Kokel HPP is developed in the area of Kodovjat, Skënderbegas and Lenie communes in Gramsh District.
Banje HPP will be the first step in the development sequence of the Devoll Hydropower Project. It will use the existing cofferdam structure which will be raised to 175m above sea level. HPP Banje utilizes a head between 175 and 95m above sea level. The dam will be constructed as an embankment dam with an impervious clay core with an approximate height of 80m. The reservoir will have a surface area of about 14km2, an area comparable to 2,000 football fields. The reservoir will reach from Banje nearly up to Gramsh. The storage capacity of the reservoir is of approximately 400 million m3. The Power plant will use two Francis turbine units and will have an installed capacity of approximately 73MW and will generate yearly an average of approximately 250GWh.
Banje HPP is developed in the area of Pishaj and Sult communes and Gramsh Municipality in Gramsh District and Tregan, Gostime and Klos communes in Elbasan District.
The project includes the construction of two transmission lines; one 220kV line and one 110kV line. These two transmission lines will connect the three power plants to the Albanian national electricity grid.
The first transmission line stretches between Moglice HPP, Kokel HPP and Elbasan 2 substation. The 220kV line is of total length 48km. This Transmission Line will be constructed in the area of Kodovjat and Pishaj communes in Gramsh District and Tregan and Shirgjan Communes and Elbasan Municipality in Elbasan District.
The second 12km, 110kV line stretches between Banje HPP and Cerrik substation. This transmission line will be constructed in the area of Gostimë and Gjergjan Commune and Cërrik Municipality in Elbasan District.
VeVe Group has been appointed as a lead consultant. The scope of work includes legal technical outsource for completion of the tender documents, pre feasibility studies for Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, feasibility studies for Environmental Impact Assessment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), support for the ESIA, and public relations support.
After the Public Hearings on the Draft ESIA Report, in October 2011, DHP has obtained the Environmental Permit from the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Water Administration.
In June 2012, DHP has received the approval for the technical idea for the Banje, Kokel and Moglice dams by the National Committee of Large Dams. The approval is an important input to the Infrastructure Permit/ Construction Permit, the main permit for the start of the construction of the DHP project.
In October 2012, a joint venture of Mott MacDonald and Coyne et Bellier was appointed by Devoll Hydropower Sh.A (DHP) as owner’s engineer for the development of three hydropower plants in Southern Albania. The joint venture will review the designs and manage all aspects of the project implementation including construction supervision, as well as assist DHP with negotiation and award of the construction and supply contracts.
The project exceeds US$1,090 million of financial investment. Three hydropower plants will be built, together with a state of the art underground tunnel.
In December 2012, DHP has received its final approval of the infrastructure permit by the National Territory Council. The approval of the infrastructure permit was obtained after extensive engineering, as well as community involvement measures.
On July 1, 2013, DHP has signed the civil works contract, with the Limak-AGE Joint Venture. The contract includes civil works for the Banje and Moglice hydropower plants.
The civil works will consist mainly in building the dam body, access roads, excavation works, grunting, river diversion, building of spillways and tunnels for Moglice and Banja HPPs.
In July 2013, Alstom was awarded a hydraulic and electro-mechanical works contract for the project. The scope of the contract covers the supply of six Francis turbine-generator units and auxiliaries; equipment for two high voltage substations of 220kV and 110kV in addition to hydraulic steelworks such as gates, penstock, stoplogs and trash-racks.
The contract for the 110kV and 220kV transmission line signed with Sh.Sh.M.N. Doko and AF- Consult Switzerland Ltd was appointed as a design consultant for the project. Construction of road is being undertaken by Albania's Vega Construction Group.
In April 2014, Sweco was appointed as design and inspection consultant for tunnels and rock caverns activities of the project.
In December 2014, Construction activities on Moglice and Banje HPPs are underway.
The investment decision for the third plant, Kokel HPP, will be considered when the first two plants (Moglice and Banje HPP) are completed.
In April 2016, marked the completion of construction activities on Banje and on September 23, 2016, Banje HPP was commissioned.
Construction activities on Moglice HPP are underway with completion scheduled in 2019.
Table Of Contents
1.Key Statistics
2.Key Dates
3.Sector
4.Operating metrics
5.Tender Information
6.Scope
7.Description
8.Latest update
9.Background
10.Key Contacts
11.General News, Project News
12.Appendix