Albanian Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Belinda Belluku said that it is planned that the construction of 210 MW hydropower plant Skavica should be launched in mid-2023.
Minister Belluku stressed that HPP Skavica is the most important hydro project in the country, with an estimated investment of some 250 million euros. She said that the feasibility study and the environmental impact assessment study for the project have already been completed, adding that negotiations on the project’s financing are currently ongoing.
In May 2021, the Albanian Government has officially launched the project for the construction of hydropower plant Skavica on the Drin river, which will be realized by US company Bechtel.
HPP Skavica will increase Albania’s hydro-based electricity generation by some 20 %, while also optimizing and increasing the country’s production capacities and will reduce Albania’s annual electricity imports by an average of 55 % annually, increasing the security of the country’s electricity supply.
Projected annual electricity generation of HPP Skavica is 915 GWh, but it would also increase the electricity production potential of downstream HPPs – Fierza and Koman by a total of 80 GWh per year.
In 2020, Albanian Power Corporation (KESH) and Bechtel have signed an agreement on the construction of 210 MW HPP Skavica. It is a critically important hydropower plant that will play a significant role in Albania decreasing its dependence on electricity imports.
