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The Devoll Cascade may see an increase in energy production capacity with a project currently under study by Norway's Statkraft.
An agreement that was recently approved by the government and has now reached the Parliament specifies changes to the current concession held by the company in our country.
This is the fourth amendment made to the agreement over the years, and this time, it aims at a project that enhances the efficiency of water use in the Devoll Cascade, where the company has invested.
The new project significantly increases the installed capacity in the Devoll Cascade, which could be between 800 and 1600 MW with this addition, surpassing the Drin Cascade, which is the main artery in the country for energy production, local media say.
In the Drin River basin, hydroelectric power plants like Fierza, Koman, Vau i Dejës, and Ashta (private investment) have been built with an installed capacity of around 1400 MW, three of which are under the administration of the Albanian Power Corporation.
"The Project Company has conducted several preliminary studies aiming at optimizing the hydrological exploitation of the Devoll River. The studies show that the construction of a plant with a pumped storage system is feasible and would offer a better utilization of the hydrological potential of the Devoll River Cascade.
Both Co-Concessionaires and the Government of Albania benefit from this optimization due to the increase in energy storage capacity in the country," as stated in the public agreement.
The project, with an additional capacity of 800-1600 MW:
"The Lower Reservoir of the Additional RP Moglica is located about 8 km to the east of the Moglica Dam, where the upper part, in the form of a basin, and the relatively flat upper part of the valley are adapted for the daily storage of water for use through a hydroelectric plant with a pumped storage system.
The Upper Reservoir will consist of 2 rock-fill dams with heights ranging from 20 to 70 meters. The underground power plant is located on the hill on the left side of the Devoll River branch of the Moglica Reservoir.
The plant is equipped with reversible pump turbines. The installed capacity will be approximately 800-1600 MW, subject to the final project.
The outlet of the discharge tunnel will be submerged and will exit into the Reservoir of the Moglica HPP about 4 km from the Moglica HPP Dam. The scheme uses a gross height of about 620 m between the Upper Reservoir of the Additional RP Moglica and the Moglica HPP Reservoir," says the text attached to the agreement.
According to a schedule attached to this draft, the feasibility study is expected to be completed in 2024, followed by the final assessment in 2025, and if everything goes according to plan, the tender will be held in 2025. Operations are expected to commence in 2030.
Statkraft's €590 million investment:
The hydroelectric power plants on the Devoll River are the largest hydro-energy project implemented in the country in the past 30 years. It includes two large HPPs, Banja and Moglica, as well as the project for HPP Kokel. The first two hydroelectric power plants in operation have an installed capacity of around 256 MW and an expected annual production of about 700 GWh.