The 500 MW hydropower dam, which was commissioned in 1981, is the most upstream of a cascade of three large storage plants on the river Drin, with a combined capacity of 1350 MW. Its four 125 MW Francis type generating units generate average annual production of 1328 GWh. Based on its position and the volume of the reservoir, Fierza plays a key role in the exploitation, regulation and safe operation of the Drin cascade. The scope of this project includes two new Francis runners of units 1 and 3, four new turbine wicket gates including replacement of the complete guide vane mechanisms, four new digital governor systems, four new stators and replacement of the complete rotor poles on all four generators, along with refurbishment of various other ancillary systems and powerhouse cranes.
A limited rehabilitation programme named the Drin River Cascade Rehabilitation Project (DRCRP) was carried out between 1996 and 2006 during which the original turbine runners of units 2 and 4 were replaced with new ones but not the other two turbine runners or the plant’s four generators. The original turbine runners of units 1 and 3 are prone to cracking and cavitation damage, thus these runners need to be replaced with new ones, along with the wicket gates, which were only repaired under the DRCRP, according to the tender notice. The limited intervention carried out on the four generators’ stators during the first rehabilitation has extended the operating life of the generators. However, the underlying problem of badly built generator stator cores has not been resolved. In addition to addressing production capacity loss and ensuring continued reliable operation, further economic and technical gains can be expected from higher efficiencies of the replaced equipment.
The tender notice with the full scope of supply and services and prequalifying criteria can be viewed on the website of Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), the economic development agency of the Federal Republic of Germany, at: https://www.gtai.de/en/trade/albania/tenders/-electro-mechanical-rehabilitation-of-fierza-hpp-1054550. The Government of Germany through KfW Development Bank (KfW) and the EU through the Western Balkan Investment Framework (WBIF) are supporting the Government of Albania in its efforts for the rehabilitation of Fierza. This cooperation is implemented through a financing agreement between KfW and the Ministry of Finance of Albania.
It is expected that the Invitation for Bids will be issued in February 2024. The units will be rehabilitated one after the other. The intended completion time for all four units from commencement date until the Issue of the Taking-Over Certificate is expected to be 54 months.
Prequalification will be conducted in accordance with KfW Development Bank’s “Guidelines for Procurement of Consulting Services, Works, Plant, Goods and Non-Consulting Services in Financial Cooperation with Partner Countries (January 2019, updated as of January 2021) and is open to all eligible applicants as defined therein (https://www.kfw-entwicklungsbank.de/PDF/Download-Center/PDF-Dokumente-Richtlinien/FZ-Vergaberichtlinien-V-2021-EN.pdf
Interested eligible applicants may obtain a complete set of prequalification documents in English on the submission of a written request to the below email address. Applications for prequalification should be uploaded to the platform of the operator of the KfW approved e-procurement system, exficon GmbH, Frankfurt am Main not later than 12.00 hours on 22 December. Detailed information and a step-by-step description of the upload procedure can be downloaded from: https://exficon.de/tad/e-procurement/. Interested applicants may obtain further information from Mr. Fatos Bundo, Korporata Elektroenergjitike Shqiptare (KESH), Blloku “Vasil Shanto” Viktor Eftimiu Street, No.12, Tirana, Republic of Albania; E-mail: BundoF@kesh.al; website: www.kesh.al
