WBs Offers Exceptional Opportunities in HPP Projects by Dr Lorenc Gordani on 08th May 2017
WBs in terms of greenfield HPP projects, has significant capacity in generation to be added to the existing hydropower generation system. The overall identified potential for installation of additional capacities is estimated at 9,868 MW in total (without the small HPPs, nor HPP projects currently in construction with 655 MW and 1,861 GWh of expected production).
The above consider 138 candidate HPP projects, made by 6,009 MW of capacity with the potential to generate 18,247 GWh annually and 3,859 MW of candidate reversible projects. With a small number of exceptions, overall candidate projects are in a relatively early stage of development and still development efforts need to be undertaken in order for that potential to become ready for investment.
Currently, there are 654 MW of capacities with a planned generation of 1,861 GWh of HPP projects in construction that are expected to come online in the next couple of years. For the rest of projects an appropriate model should be found to value those benefits and to assign them to the relevant stakeholders and also to adequately split the costs between them, thus making the construction of an HPP itself financially more attractive for private and utility investors.
A recent study on cost-competitive hydro generation indicated refereeing to the financial efficiency indicator “LCOE” state that projects up to 90 €/MWh are expected to be cost competitive. The above based on the results of the methodology applied, however, number of issues concerning should be considered as preliminary that the level of uncertainty to decrease.
The rehabilitations are a must for safeguarding the existing HPP capacity and they should not be considered as an alternative for greenfield investments as their potential is up to approximately 190 MW and 600-700 GWh, respectively. The main driver of rehabilitation is the extension of plant operational lifetime and increasing its reliability, with an additional potential to reduce operational costs.
Disclaimer: The ownership and the opinion expressed pertain to their authors. While all the effort are made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, it is not intended to provide legal advice as individual situations may differ and should be discussed with an expert. For any specific technical or legal advice on the information provided and related topics, contact us through “lorenc.gordani@euroelektra.al”.
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