“Hydro is Norway’s second-largest hydropower producer. Our goal is to increase production up to 10 percent in coming years. The hydropower projects in Sogn are an important step in the right direction,” says Ola Sæter, head of the Energy business area in Hydro.

New pumping station
in Fortun in Sogn

Hydro plans to build a pumping power station that will pump water from the company’s reservoir in Fivlemyrane to Ilvatn, where the company also has reservoirs for power production. In addition, Hydro plans to increase reservoir capacity in Ilvatn from 50 to 140 million cubic meters by building a new tapping tunnel and to reduce the lowest regulated water level.

By pumping water that otherwise would be wasted in the summer to Ilvatn, Hydro can reduce the loss of water in the Fortun system. In addition, the company can use this water to produce electricity during the winter so that total production in Fortun would be increased by 113 GWh.

Says Morten Røsæg, head of Power Production in Hydro: “The reservoir capacity in Fortun is limited. By expanding the reservoir capacity at Ilvatn and by building a new pumping power station, we’re taking better care of the water resources in the area.

”If all goes according to plan, Hydro will start work at Ilvatn in 2012. Production from the new plant could then in summer 2015.

New power plant at Øyane

Along with the concession application for Ilvatn, Hydro has also applied for a concession to build a new power plant at Øyane, which is also in the Fortun watershed. The plant will use water supplies from where Hydro already has three other plants, and will have an annual production capacity of 98 GWh.

The power station will be built inside the mountain and will utilize the fall in a remote stretch of river, and so will contribute considerable output with a relatively small disturbance to the landscape.

According to plan, the construction works on the Øyane power station will start in summer 2012 and will be finalized in summer 2014.

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