TBM breakthrough in the Moglicë project - 17 km of tunnel completed
On May 3rd, an important milestone was reached in the Moglicë project in Albania. The 17 kilometres of tunnel for the Moglicë hydropower plant were completed, as the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) completed its journey.
The tunnelling that started in mid-2015, included the longest headrace tunnel in Albania and the first TBM ever used in the country. The headrace tunnel is 10,6 kilometres in length and six of them were excavated using a TBM, while the remainder was excavated by drill and blast.
The TBM was a double shield hard rock TBM, 165 meters in length with an excavation diameter of 6.215 meters, and the drive was completed in 18 months. The machine faced several challenges while drilling through the region’s mudstones, sticky ground and blocky ground conditions including occasional methane leakages, which required the contractor Limak-Age and owner Statkraft to collaborate closely over the course of operation of the machine.
The 10.6 km headrace tunnel will channel water from Moglicë reservoir into the underground powerhouse, which is also the first of its kind in Albania.
"More than 240 employees were directly involved in underground works. The project construction risk is now substantially reduced. A great tribute to all involved in this major milestone in the project”, says William Burstrom, Moglicë Project Director.