Albanian Government has 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 .
Last October, 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.
In 2019, KESH launched a feasibility study for the construction of HPP Skavica. The company said in a statement that 21-month feasibility study for HPP Skavica will be conducted with the support of a group of consultants from Infrastructure Project Facility – Technical Assistance 6 (IPF 6) and financed by the Western Balkan Investment Frakmework (WBIF). This phase of the project is supported by the WBIF with a grant worth 1.5 million euros awarded to KESH at WBIF meeting held in 2017. KESH said that HPP Skavica is an ambitious and significant project for reforming and further developing the Albanian electricity sector.
In 2015, the Government failed to award concession for the construction and operation of the HPP despite the interest of two Turkish companies.
