ANDRITZ has been selected by Norwegian power producer Hafslund to rehabilitate and upgrade the Strandfossen hydropower plant on the Glomma River in Norway.
The project will extend the plant’s service life and increase its installed capacity by more than 25%, supporting the supply of renewable electricity and contributing to grid stability as Norway expands variable renewable energy generation.
The contract is valued in the mid-double-digit million-euro range and will be included in ANDRITZ’s order intake for the second quarter of 2026.
Under the contract, ANDRITZ will supply a new Kaplan turbine and generator and replace the plant’s automation and electrical power systems as part of its “water-to-wire” scope of work.
The upgrade will increase the plant’s installed capacity by 6 MW through higher discharge capacity, bringing the total to 28.5 MW.
The new turbine runner will undergo model testing at ANDRITZ’s hydraulic laboratory in Tampere, Finland, while the generator will be designed and manufactured in Weiz, Austria. Commissioning is scheduled for 2028.
Hydropower flexibility is expected to play a growing role in maintaining grid stability as Norway adds more variable renewable generation capacity, making plant modernisation projects increasingly important to the country’s energy transition.
The Strandfossen plant entered operation in 1979 using equipment supplied by KMW, whose hydropower business is now part of ANDRITZ.
The plant currently generates 154GWh of electricity annually. Following the upgrade, annual generation is expected to rise to 168.5GWh.
The project adds to the existing relationship between Hafslund and ANDRITZ. The company is also carrying out rehabilitation work at Hafslund’s Vamma plant, Norway’s largest run-of-river hydropower facility.
