Fierza Hydroelectric Power Station

The Fierza Hydroelectric Power Station (Albanian: Hidrocentrali i Fierzës) is a large hydroelectric power station on the Drin River, in Albania.

Fierza Hydropower Plant
Fierza Hydroelectric Power Station in 2013.
Official name	Hidrocentrali i Fierzës
Location	Albania
Coordinates	42°15′05″N 20°02′35″E
Construction began	1971
Opening date	1978
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Rock-fill dam
Impounds	Drin River
Height	167 m (548 ft)
Length	380 m (1,250 ft)
Width (base)	576 m (1,890 ft)
Reservoir
Creates	Fierza Reservoir
Total capacity	28,000,000,000 m3 (9.9×1011 cu ft)
Catchment area	11,829 km2 (4,567 sq mi)
Surface area	72.5 km2 (28.0 sq mi)
Maximum water depth	128 m (420 ft)
Power Station
Operator(s)	Albanian Power Corporation
Hydraulic head	118 m
Turbines	4 × 125 MW
Installed capacity	500 MW
Annual generation	1,330 GWh

Fierza is the upper HPP (Hydro Power Plant) of the Drin River cascade. Based on the installed power capacity, position and the volume of the reservoir, Fierza plays a key role for the exploitation, regulation and safe operation of Drin cascade.

Work for its construction began in 1970. The first power unit became operational in 1978 and the plant was fully operational in 1980. Fierza HPP was built with equipment mostly from China but on the concepts of Albanian engineers. Around 14,000 workers, engineers and specialist were involved in the construction of the plant.[1]

Fierza is a HPP with a rock-fill dam with a clay core and reservoir. When it was built, Fierza was the second in Europe for the height of its type. The dam has a total volume of 8 million m3.

This rock-fill dam measures 167 m (548 ft)[2] in height, and 380 m (1,250 ft) in length along the crest. Construction began in 1971 and was completed seven years later in 1978. The dam is one of the three hydroelectric dams on the Drin River. The reservoir was filled with water between 1978 and 1981.[2]

The four units installed in the plant have "Francis" vertical turbines with 125 MW power each; 3-Phase synchronous generators of 13.8kV voltage; and lifting transformers 13.8kV/242 kV for the connection with the transmission substation.

The annual output of Fierza HPP averages in 1,330 GWh, that represent approximately 33% of Drin cascade production.

The importance of Fierza, beside energy production, relates on the capacity of its lake which regulates the annual inflows and increase the efficient use of the Drin cascade.