Energy Community of South East Europe APL Program - APL 5 for Albania DAM SAFETY

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The development objectives of Energy Community of South East Europe Adaptable Program Loan (APL) Program - Fifth APL for Albania Dam Safety Project are to: (i) contribute to safe guarding the major hydroelectric plants of Albania; and (ii) improve their operational efficiency and enhance the stability of power supply for the regional electricity market. The project's main impact will be to prevent a possible catastrophe resulting from a dam failure. Such a catastrophe can result in significant loss of life and damage to property of persons living in downstream areas. It will also cause a major and prolonged fall in hydropower production that will severely affect the entire population of Albania and will likely significantly increase electricity prices in the whole South East Europe (SEE) region. Poor and vulnerable people in the region will likely suffer disproportionately from any such electricity price increases. The project consists of two main components: (1) physical infrastructure investments; and (2) technical assistance. Physical infrastructure investments include: (i) the specification and implementation of water alarm systems in the Drin and Mat River basins, and specification of an Emergency Action Plan; (ii) rehabilitation of spillways on Fierza, Koman and Vau i Dejes dams on the Drin river; (iii) rehabilitation of electromechanical equipment in the Koman dam; and (iv) implementation of Load Frequency Control system in Vau i Dejes and Fierza Dams. The technical assistance component will finance: (i) hydrology studies and water management; (ii) implementation consultants; (iii) studies for new hydropower development; (iv) financial management systems capacity building; and (v) international panel of experts on safety of Dams.