Contract award for Tirana Center substation
Croatian power infrastructure company Dalekovod has secured a €19.88 million contract to develop a new underground high-voltage substation in Tirana, Albania. The facility is part of Southeast Europe’s expanding electricity transmission and distribution investment activity. The project is being awarded by the Albanian electricity distribution operator OSHEE.
Dalekovod will implement the work in cooperation with local partners. The Tirana Center facility is intended to improve electricity reliability and network capacity in one of the capital’s most densely developed urban areas. The scope focuses on upgrading high-voltage infrastructure within constrained city locations.
110/20 kV GIS design and main equipment
The substation will use 110/20 kV gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) technology. This configuration enables major electrical equipment to be installed underground where surface space is limited. Gas-insulated design is positioned for applications requiring reduced physical footprint in dense areas.
The principal equipment includes four 50 MVA power transformers. Together, the transformers provide a combined installed transformer rating of 200 MVA. The project also includes eight 110 kV GIS bays.
Systems, civil works and commissioning scope
The contract covers protection and control systems as well as automation equipment for the substation. It also includes auxiliary installations and electrical works required for integration of the main plant. Civil infrastructure for commissioning is part of the delivery package.
The Tirana project reflects ongoing requirements for high-voltage network investment across Southeast Europe. Cities are facing changing electricity demand alongside the need to modernise ageing distribution infrastructure. For contractors, urban substations require integration of electrical equipment, civil construction, automation and network protection within limited sites.
Regional contracting and operational reliability goals
The Tirana award also illustrates cross-border infrastructure contracting in the Western Balkans. International engineering companies compete for projects financed or commissioned by national electricity system operators. For Dalekovod, the contract adds to its regional project portfolio and supports its role as a supplier of high-voltage electrical infrastructure.
Beyond individual substation builds, utilities across the region are being required to reinforce transmission and distribution networks. Drivers include changing consumption patterns, new renewable capacity and increased requirements for operational reliability. Once commissioned, Tirana Center is expected to improve security of supply in central Tirana while supporting further development of the city’s electricity network.
