Rehabilitation and Repair

Statkraft plans to modernize, expand Folgefonn hydropower in Norway

Statkraft plans to modernize, expand Folgefonn hydropower in Norway

Statkraft has sent a license application for a major modernization of the Folgefonn hydropower scheme in Hardanger, Norway, to the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE).

Electrification and new industry development are expected to increase demand for renewable energy. Higher demand combined with more energy from variable renewable energy sources will increase the need for flexible power production. Hydropower will contribute with both higher capacity and more power production, Statkraft said.

“We expect that in the future, there will be an increased need for more flexibility and capacity. We can contribute to this by upgrading our hydropower plants. The increased need for power and a recently adapted hydropower taxation mean that it is now possible to implement large projects and Statkraft is now submitting a license application for Folgefonn. The need for more flexible power production can lead to a renaissance for existing Norwegian hydropower plants,” says Statkraft’s Chief Executive Officer Christian Rynning-Tønnesen.

The Folgefonn development comprises the Jukla and Mauranger power plants, which use the hydraulic head from Juklavatn Lake. Power production started in 1974 and was originally developed to supply power to the local aluminium industry.

Jukla Power Plant is a combined power plant and pumping station, enabling it to use different head levels. In summer, water is pumped up to the uppermost reservoir Juklavatn. In winter, power is produced when the energy needs are greatest. Water from the Jukla Power Plant is reused in the Mauranger Power Plant. Combined, the two produce 1,204 GWh of electricity annually.

This license application requests an increase in installed capacity at the Mauranger power plant from 250 MW to 880 MW. The project would provide 70 GWh to 80 GWh of new clean energy into the power system. The modernization of the Mauranger plant would contribute with significantly more capacity into Western Norway’s power system, and together with the development of the grid, it will be part of the solution to this challenge. The project would also support Norway’s offshore wind plans and new industrial development.

It will take about three years before detailed planning can begin. Construction could start in 2026.

Statkraft continuously assesses the need for rehabilitation and the possibility of upgrading or expanding and re-designing hydropower plants and is in the process of reviewing the entire hydropower portfolio to evaluate profitable projects. Executive Vice President for Production at Statkraft, Hilde Bakken, said the company believes there will be more similar projects in the years ahead.

Recently, Statkraft commissioned two small hydroelectric plants in Norway, 8.5 MW Vesle Kjela and 8.5 MW Storlia, built using existing infrastructure at previous hydropower developments.