Hydropower and dam safety Mat-Drin cascade

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The FC program Hydropower and Dam Safety Drin Cascade only provides for measures to increase dam safety and to increase the efficiency and reliability of system-relevant hydroelectric power plants on the Drin River, as the two power plants on the Mat River have been privatized. This is why the program name has been changed. The three hydroelectric power plants with an installed capacity of around 1,350 MW form the backbone of Albanian electricity generation. This FC module is designed as a program and is embedded in the extensive overall Dam Safety Project (DSP), which currently includes 18 individual measures that are financed by the World Bank, SECO and EBRD in addition to FC. The following two measures are to be financed from the FC contribution of up to EUR 20 million in low-interest loans: 1. Dam monitoring and control system The existing measuring devices retrofitted by SECO for monitoring the dam stability of the three power plants in the Drin Cascade are to be combined in a central monitoring system. This enables permanent monitoring of the dams by specialist staff at the headquarters and, if necessary, the information/alerting of the Albanian civil defense in the event of dangerous situations. In addition, holistic management of the three reservoirs is possible in order to optimize energy supply and to be able to provide additional retention/storage space in flood situations through so-called pre-drawing. 2. Rehabilitation of the flood overflows of the Vau I Dejes HPP The flood relief systems of the Drin cascade urgently require a comprehensive overhaul because, for example, almost all of the closure elements, primarily pressure segments, sometimes have significant leaks, inspection closures are missing and electric drives are only partially operational. This situation represents a serious risk in the event of flooding because trouble-free operation of the closures can no longer be guaranteed. The total cost of the Dam Safety Project is estimated at around EUR 80 million. The aim of the FC programme is to contribute to increasing dam safety and protecting the population living in the affected region, as well as to securing the hydroelectric power plants and increasing their efficiency. By achieving the project objectives, the project will contribute to the sustainable economic development of Albania, to climate protection and to adaptation to climate change (overarching development policy objective).