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Dam'S Rehabilitation and Modernization of Monitoring Systems in Drini River Cascade, Albania
Dam'S Rehabilitation and Modernization of Monitoring Systems in Drini River Cascade, Albania
Keywords: Drini River cascade, HEPP, Monitoring systems, Dam safety, downstream area,
Komani Dam toe, Emergency Preparedness Plan, Landslide, and Underground water.
Abstract. This paper regards the Dam’s Rehabilitation and Modernization of Monitoring
Systems in Dams and landslide of Drini River Cascade operated by Albanian Power
Corporation (KESH sh.a). The height, location and the type of Dams, the basins they
created, the installed power capacities and the dynamic of utilization of Power Plants
make Drini river cascade unique in Europe. The Drini river bed in northern Albania has
been transformed into a chain of three reservoirs with total water capacity of 3.4 billion
m3 which supply water to the largest Hydropower plants (HEPP) of Albania. Three
HEPP-s and their respective dams are in this cascade and they were constructed from
1971 to 1986. Their installed power capacity is 1350 MW and the average energy
production is 4 000 GWH per year.
The dam’s rehabilitation consists in rehabilitation of crest and down parts of dams,
rehabilitation of downstream areas regarding the damages from discharges of spillways
during 30 previous years, lake protection from erosion and sediments, maintenance and
rehabilitation of spillway’s radial gates.
This paper summarizes the performed measures regarding the dam’s rehabilitation and
modernization of monitoring process on 5 dams of Drini river cascade during the last
years. It is intended to evidence the advantages of new dam’s monitoring process in the
terms of best water basin integrated management and increasing of their life.
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1 INTRODUCTION
Drini river Cascade (Figure 1), located in its northern region was created in 1985, whose
main purpose is hydropower production. The Drini River drains from Kosovo (White Drin) in
the north and from Macedonia (Black Drin) in the south-east. It creates three reservoirs with
total volume of 3.4 billion m3 and inundates an area of 72 km2. The Drini River cascade,
involving 3 hydroelectric power plants (figure 2), is administrated by KESH (Albanian Power
Corporation), the largest hydropower producer in the Balkan region. Upstream of Fierza
Lake, two more hydropower projects are planned (see figure 2).
The height, the location and the type of dams, the basin created, the installed power capacities
and the dynamic of utilization of Power plants make Drini River cascade unique in Europe
[1] because:
The dams of this cascade are dams with the highest risks in region. In the case of
discharge of maximum flow (6400 m3/sec) or any dam failure, more than 195 000
people in downstream of Drini River are at risk.
There are three rock filled dams with a height ranging from 60 m to 166.5 m and three
large artificial lakes with operating inflow from 100 m3/sec to 3600 m3/sec and
probable maximum flow of 6400 m3/sec.
The capacity of 3 HEPP of this cascade is 1350 MW. They produce more than 75 %
of energy for our country. Fierza and Komani Dam are the biggest construction
objects in Albania and their influence on the economy is very significant.
Locations of all dams are in the northern area of Albania with high risk of seismicity.
Operation and Management of Drini river Cascade is done in special conditions
during all seasons of year regarding the heavy rainfall in the winter, continuous public
supply with energy for the country, protection of environmental and special measures
and management against floods in downstream of Drini River,
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Figure 6 –Total Investments of KESH sh.a for monitoring, maintenance, rehabilitation and safety of Dams [1]
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Figure 8: Dam toe of Komani Dam, before and after rehabilitation [1]
4.1 General
Based on the study of the risk analyses of Drini river cascade prepared by GNF/Spain,
Drini river cascade system risk should be more effective and uncertainty better characterized
[5].
The first outcome to reinforce the planning of the dam safety program comes from the
qualitative phase of the process and they are actions needed to reduce and manage the large
amount of uncertainty.
One priority to reduce the management risk and failure risk for the dams of cascade was
improvement and automatization of monitoring process of dams and modernization of hydro
meteorological monitoring system of Drini basin.
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Figure 10: Map of Fierza dam and monitoring systems that are installed on the dam and the area surrounding
this dam (piezometers, inclinometer, geodetic monuments, seepages and seismic sensors)
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On dam monitoring, it is more important the graphic analyses of several days or months data
and compared them with other variables than a value on display in real time.
A typical case in our monitoring process is the control of leakage at Komani dam toe. (see
figure 11). There is identified the leakage at dam toe with quantity of 700 l/sec.
To monitor this leakage, KESH has conducted many studies and research. Over the last few
years studies have been carried out based on geophysical methods to understand the water
movement, including inspection of the concrete face using an ROV and tracer testing and
diving. The purpose of the above studies have been to discover the origin and direction of
movement of water leakage in the Komani dam toe.
Referred to present studies and investigations, there can be no more doubt that most of the
water coming out at the toe of the dam is leakage from the reservoir rather than from hillside
springs. The current investigation has identified one zone in the bottom of the valley behind
the bottom outlet as a source of leakages. The location of this zone and the chemical
constitution of the leakages indicate that the leakage comes from the foundation, presumably
due to deficiencies of the grout curtain. The possibility of leakage from the reservoir via the
dam foundations and directly into the power station tailrace also cannot be excluded and
warrants further investigation.
In addition to these studies, attention has been focused on the automatic data collection of
underground water from the system of piezometers and flowmeters that are installed on the
dam. This will enable the operator to receive the dam monitoring data in real time in order to
prompt intervention in the event of an incident and to provide improved operation.
Figure 11: Monitoring system and graphs of leakage at Komani dam toe [2]
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From our experience, we suggest some improvement actions in dam monitoring tasks as:
Update monitoring graphics
o Search, collect and storage all historical data, both monitoring and operating
o Update monitoring database as dam code, devices locations, status, etc
o Create monitoring graphs from the operating activities
o Develop an internal procedure to update these monitoring graphs with current
data
Update monitoring drawings
o Collect existing maps and file storage
o Develop new drawings, specific for monitoring in digital files
o Drawings with monitoring devices locations and specific icons for each one
Monitoring data management
o Use of Portable data terminal (PTD) reading
o Determination of threshold for each device
o Preparing and loading of reading routes for each dam
o Preparing download data system from PTD to database and graphics
Albanian Law No. 8681 “On dam Safety” [7] requires the dam owner to deliver to the
Albanian Committee of Large Dams (ALBCOLD) an annual report with conclusions about
the behavior of the dams and the safety assessment. This report includes the results of
inspections, monitoring graphs, photo reports, actual situation of each dam, main incidents
registered on the dam throughout the year. [2] It shall include installation of the monitoring
devices, spillway operation tests, daily rainfalls and temperatures, reservoir level and
hydropower production.
Referred to the suggestions and recommendations of experts, KESH has started the
study, analysis and review of main indicators for dam operation and safety in Drini river
cascade.
One of the most important chapters is the review of the original hydrological study and
model, which the spillway was designed. Hydrology study methods are constantly evolving
with new mathematical models adapted to regional characteristics with more and better data
of rainfall. Sometime conclusions and revisions make it necessary to modify the spillway
thereby increasing the safety of the dam. A typical case was the study of the safe integrated
management of Drini river cascade [6]. According to this study, there we have a new modern
hydrological model for Drini basin. Referred to this new model and the above study [6], it
must add to the capacity of the spillways for Fierza & Komani dam with 2000 m3/sec each
one. [2]
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Dam operation procedures report lists all rules of operation of the dam. It is a document that
must be continually reviewed and updated so as to increase the safety of the dams. Its
recommended content is as follows:
Main characteristic of the dams, reservoirs and hydroelectric power plants
Main drawing of the dam, cross sections, monitoring data, etc
Capacity and volume curves and bathymetry survey of reservoirs
Specific actions in case of flood and Emergency preparedness plan
Monitoring program and periodic inspections and maintenance program of dams and
landslide near of them
Warning systems and strategies to develop in extraordinary situations as earthquake
or flood.
It is very important to have access to the information generated throughout the whole
life of the dam, from design to current days to have a good management of dam safety.
It is necessary to create a Technical Archive in a safe and accessible place. This
technical archive must be managed by professionals and operations should be similar to a
library, where there is lending and return of information and good management of new and
existing information. KESH has started to create this Archive for the dams and their
elements. To improve access to such information, we have scanned all technical documents
of original drawings and studies. Also, we have created the electronically files for all
implemented designs for maintenance and rehabilitation of dams, monitoring data, annual
reports on dam safety and monitoring, laws and operational rules, etc. Below it is an
indicative list of information that should be available in a technical archive:
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5 CONCLUSION
Monitoring of all dams of Drini River cascade should be done in real time, online
with automated monitoring systems,
Monitoring of leakage in dam toe of Komani Dam should continue in the future.
This monitoring should be done in real time, online and from a qualified experts’
team.
6 References
[1] KESH sh.a., Activity report 2013 – 2016 (May 2017).
[2] KESH sh.a, Annual report on the dam safety and monitoring process (March 2018).
[3] ICOLD, Surveillance: Basic elements in a “Dam Safety”, Bulletin No.138 (2009).
[4] ICOLD, Automated dam monitoring systems, Bulletin no.118 (2000).
[5] Ignacio Escuder – Bueno, Arjan Jovani, Javier Moralo-Garcia, Jose M.Alonso-Munoz,
Risk Governance Implementation for Cascade system on Drini River, Albania, ICOLD
2016, Annual meeting, Proceeding Johannesburg (South Africa) (May 2016).
[6] Fichtner, Feasibility Study on Safe Flood Management of the Drin Cascade Hydropower
Plants, WB Project, (November 2017).
[7] Law No.8681, dt. 02.11.2000 “On Dam Safety” (November 2000).
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