Statkraft cuts ribbon at 8.5-MW HPPs in Norway

Norwegian power company Statkraft A/S on Tuesday opened two 8.5-MW small-scale hydropower plants (HPPs) in Norway, it announced.

The Vesle Kjela and Storlia equally-sized power plants are located on the opposite sides of the Hardanger mountain plateau.

Vesle Kjela is situated at the top of the Tokke/Vinje regulated watercourse and utilises the head from the regulated Kjelavatn lake in the Haukelifjell mountain area. The Storlia plant utilises a head of 75 metres (246.1 ft) between the Bjoreio river and Sysenvatn lake in the municipality of Eidfjord as part of the Sima regulation, Statkraft said.

Together, the two HPPs can power some 4,000 Norwegian households, according to the company.

The projects are part of Statkraft’s effort to upgrade its HPPs in Norway, investing in the process over NOK 20 billion (USD 2.13bn/EUR 1.99bn) since 2005.

“Vesle Kjela power plant and Storlia power plant were built using existing infrastructure at previous hydropower developments, new technology and cost-effective methods through good cooperation with suppliers,” commented CEO Christian Rynning-Tonnesen.

(NOK 1.0 = USD 0.107/EUR 0.099)

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