Energoinvest completes two major projects in Africa, currently building power line around Tirana in Albania

(Patria) - Sarajevo-based company Energoinvest expects the ceremonial commissioning of a 115-kilometer long 400kV power line and a 400/220/33kV substation, which will connect the power systems of Tanzania and Kenya in Africa for the first time. This project, worth 100 million US dollars, took four years to complete.

"When we talk about a 400 kV voltage level, power lines, and especially the construction of substations, I must note that this is something that even the pre-war Energoinvest could not achieve. We have succeeded today, and we are extremely happy and proud," says Energoinvest General Manager Bisera Hadžialjević on this occasion.

Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO), or Tanzania's Electric Power Company, had special requirements regarding environmental protection in the construction area, as the power line is located only 70 kilometers from the entrance to Kilimanjaro National Park, a tourist attraction that brings significant revenue to this country precisely because it is a nature reserve. The company expects an invitation to the ceremonial commissioning of these power facilities, which will be attended by the presidents of Tanzania, Kenya, and Ethiopia.

"The poles themselves exceed 80 meters in height, and their individual weight ranges from 30 to 70 tons. This demonstrates the complexity in design, production, and construction. In addition to our section of the power line, we sold such poles, which are a product of Energoinvest, to a French company that installed them on their section as well," explains Aida Halilović, Head of the Design Department at Energoinženjering within Energoinvest, emphasizing the importance of the trust gained from Tanzania's Electric Power Company in this project.

At the end of December last year, Energoinvest also completed and commissioned a 400/220kV and 220/60kV substation in Algeria on a turnkey basis. This project is worth 57.5 million EUR.

"We had a hidden problem there, which extended our execution time. The investor, GRTE-Sonelgaz, which is Algeria's national electricity and gas company, and their electricity distributor, chose locations for these substations on terrain that is part of a large regional landslide that had not been remediated. In the end, we managed to negotiate for them to remediate the landslide, and for us to continue our work. We finally completed the contract we signed in 2013. These substations have been put into operation. The 400/220kV substation supplies electricity to a large steel mill nearby, which did not experience power outages even during power interruptions in almost the entire country," says Adnan Brkić, Director of Energoinženjering at Energoinvest, about this project.

This year, an important project for Energoinvest is the ongoing construction of 400kV and 110 kV power lines around Tirana, the capital of Albania. The value of this work, financed by KfW for the needs of Albania's national transmission system operator OST, is 19 million euros.