Kosovo To Open Intl Tender for Building Power Transmission Line to Albania in Q1 2010

German consultancy MVV Decon will help in arranging the tender, KOSTT said in a statement after the signing of the deal between the consultancy, KOSTT, Albania’s transmission operator OSH and German’s development bank KfW, which finances part of the project.

The 238-kilometre 400-kilovolt (kV) line, worth over 70 million euro ($102 million), is expected to be put into operation in 2012. It will help Albania diversify its electricity import routes, currently high-voltage only with Greece. The Albanian section of the future transmission line will be 153.5 kilometres long.

KfW has already granted a combined 1.3 million euro to Albania towards the cost of this project and another project for the construction of a 110-kV transmission line in the south of the country. Albania’s Finance Ministry has said KfW would also lend some 50 million euro to finance the Albanian section of the 400-kV transmission line. KfW will also finance the construction of the Kosovo section of the power line through a grant and a loan.

($=0.6803 euro)