TEC Vlora

What it represents

With a capacity of 97 MW, Vlora TPP was constructed in 2011. Its construction came as a result of the country’s need to increase the power generation sources, especially the thermoelectric ones, in order to increase the independence from the generation of electricity through hydropower plants.
The development of the power sector was also part of the “2002 Strategic Plan of Social Economic Development”, considering that the domestic power generation at the time was about 3500 GWh per year and the import demand was 800-1000 GWh per year.

In this context, apart from the development of the transmission grid and upgrade of the distribution network, the domestic production needed to be increased as well. The domestic production growth would consist in the increase of the number of private hydropower plants (private HPP-s) and the increase of the number of power generating plants independent from those hydro.

In cases of lack of electricity, more than 2/3 of the business were using diesel generators as a stand-alone energy source. This TPP is effective in the conditions of load peak and lack of precipitation.

The project was funded by the Albanian Power Corporation (KESH sh.a.), the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the European Investment Bank (EIB). The total value of the project was Euro 130 million.

The scope of the project is:

to guarantee that the demand for electricity supply is met; efficiency in electricity supply and usage; financial efficiency of the private power generation sector
the increase in power production from thermoelectric plants to meet a part of the domestic demand of the base load, allowing, as such, a more efficient use of the hydroelectric energy to meet the domestic need during peak load and to enable power exchanges of base load with other energy systems in the region The project foresaw the construction of a power station with combined cycle, supplied by the power generated from distilled oil in an area of six hectares, located six kilometres in the north of Vlora, in the vicinity of an offshore oil deposit terminal. The plant is designed to allow the use of natural gas. The contract for engineering works, procurement and plant construction with a capacity of 97 MW was signed, by the end of February 2007, between KESH and the Italian company “Tecnimont”.

Currently, the civil works and equipment installation are already completed and the TPP is in conservation conditions by the employees of TEC Sh.a Vlorë.

Due to a defect on January 2012 in the water pipeline system for the turbine cooling, the thermoelectric plant in
not in operation. KESH is applying a plan of measures to put it on operation. One of the main points is the selection of the consulting company that will analyse the causes of this defect and design the new pipeline project to bring water from the sea, which will serve to cool the turbine.

Performance of Vlora TP

Pollution gases emission