Hydropower Situation

Big Hydropower Plants

Three rivers are actually exploited in Albania in the form of cascade. The hydro-power

plants built on each of the cascade operate with the following parameters:

• Drin river cascade, with a total installed capacity of 1,350 MW, which constitutes 92% of the country’s power generation with three hydro-power plants,


• Mat river cascade, with two hydro-power plants operating on a total installed capacity of 49 MW,


• Bistrica river cascade, with a total installed capacity of 27,5 MW.

Small Hydropower Plants

Albania counts 90 small hydro-power plants with a ranging capacity from

20 KW to 9200 KW. Only 37 out of this total are currently operational, whereas the rest

is out of function.

Out of the total of small hydro-power plants:

• 32 hydropower plants operate on concessionary contracts, with an installed capacity of 24,4 MW


• 16 hydro-power plants were privatized and operate with an installed capacity of 2,047 MW


• 42 hydro-power plants are owned by the State and have an installed capacity of 12,5 MW

Current Situation

Actually, 7 big hydro-power plants and 37 small ones are currently in use.

Drin River has three operational hydro-power plants with a total installed capacity of 1,350 MW, Vau i Dejës, Fierza, Koman. A concessionary contract has been concluded

for Ashta hydro-power plant on Drin river, with an installed capacity of 48.2 MW.

Mat River has two operational hydropower plants, Uleza and Shkopet, with an installed capacity of 49 MW.

 

In Devoll River Banja hydropower plant began to be constructed before 1990, with a designated capacity of 60 MW. However, only 40% of the works have been completed

and the process was suspended. Currently, the tender for the concession of hydropower

plants cascade on Devoll River has been finalized.

 

In Vjosa River, works are undergoing for the construction of Kalivac hydropower plant,

with an installed capacity of 90 MW.

 

Bistrica River has two operational hydropower plants, Bistrica I and Bistrica II, with an

installed capacity of 27.5 MW.