AFRY has signed an agreement with Hafslund Kraft AS to study options for increasing operational flexibility at the Aurland 3 pumped storage power plant in Norway.
Aurland 3 is one of Norway’s largest pumped storage facilities. It is equipped with two fixed-speed reversible pump-turbines, each with an installed capacity of 135MW.
Under the assignment, AFRY will assess technical solutions to significantly increase the number of annual start-stop cycles and to expand the plant’s operating range. The work will include an evaluation of alternative system concepts and the preparation of a technical basis to support Hafslund’s decisions on future system technology.
The study will draw on hydropower expertise from AFRY teams in Norway, Austria, and Switzerland.
“The Aurland 3 project is an important step in strengthening our footprint in the Nordic market for pumped storage hydropower. AFRY has long experience from similar projects in a number of countries and we are happy to support Hafslund in this technically challenging project,” says Marcus Bergman, Sales Manager Hydro Nordics at AFRY.
Earlier this month, it was announced that AFRY has secured a contract from the Zambezi River Authority, the organisation jointly owned by Zambia and Zimbabwe, to update the feasibility study and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the 2400MW Batoka Gorge hydroelectric scheme.
