Fierza HPP

What it represents

Fierza is the upper HPP of the Drin River Cascade. Based on the installed power, position and the volume of the reservoir, Fierza plays a key role for the exploitation, regulation and safe operation of the cascade. Work for its construction began in 1970. The first unit become operational in 1978. The plant was put in total operation with full capacity in 1980. Fierzë was built with equipments from China, but on the concepts of Albanian engineers. Around 14,000 workers, engineers and specialists were involved for the construction of this plant.

Specifications

Fierza is a Hydropower Plant with the dam and reservoir. The dam is filled with stones and has a clay core. The dam is 166.5 m high and 380 m long. The width of the dam ranges from 574.28 m in its base to 13 m in the crest of the dam. When it was built, Fierza Dam was the second in Europe for the height of its type. The dam has a total volume of 8 million m3. The dam has created a reservoir with a volume of 2.7 billion m3 and a surface area of 72 km2; Lake Fierzë, which is the largest artificial lake in the country. The useful volume of the reservoir is 2.3 billion m3. Fierzë HPP is classified as a first-class work in terms of risk. Its dam is designed for maximum calculated flow for 1 in 1,000 years (6,100m3 / sec) and maximum control flow during the rainy season for 1 in 10,000 years (9,600 m3 / sec). The bypassing of the water flow in Fierza is carried out through discharge tunnels; Tunnel 4 with a capacity of 890 m3/sec. and Tunnel 3 with a capacity of 1780 m3/sec. The total water discharge capacity at the 296 m a.s.l. is 2670 m3/sec. The Intake System was built for the water supply of the plant from the lake. It conveys water from the intake portal, through tunnels, to the 4 turbines of the power plant building. The system has a capacity to transport up to 500 m3/sec. The four units installed in the plant have “Francis” vertical turbines, with 125 MW power each; 3-Phase synchronous generators of 13.8kV voltage; and lifting transformers 13.8kV / 242kV for connecting with the substation. The total installed power and the HPP is 500 MW. Auxiliary and control-monitoring devices are also located in the plant’s building. The substation, with its transmission, control and protection equipment, enables the connection with the Power System via four 220 Kv lines (Fierzë-Tirana, Fierzë-Koman, Fierzë-Elbasan, Fierzë-Prizren) and two 110 kV lines (Bajram Curri-Fierzë, Fierzë-Fushë Arrëz). The annual output of the Fierzë HPP averages 1,330 GWh. This amount represents approximately 33% of the Cascade’s production. The importance of Fierza, besides energy production, relates to the capacity of its lake, which regulates the annual inflows, increasing the efficient use throughout the cascade.

The large capacity of Fierza Lake makes it possible to store the water from the rainy season inflow, and use it for energy production during the dry season.

The schematic overview of Fierza HPP