Statkraft has sent a license application to the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) which could see capacity than triple from 250MW to 880MW at the Mauranger II power plant.
If it gets the green light, the modernization will make the Mauranger II power plant Norway's fifth largest in terms of capacity. The project would provide 70-80 GWh of new clean energy into the power system, which corresponds to the electricity consumption of 5,000 households. It is 40 years since Statkraft last submitted a license application for such a large hydropower project.
“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,” commented Statkraft's CEO Christian Rynning-Tønnesen. “The increased need for power and a recently adapted hydropower taxation mean that it is now possible to implement large projects. The need for more flexible power production can lead to a renaissance for existing Norwegian hydropower plants.”
The modernization of the Mauranger power plant would contribute with significantly more capacity into Western Norway’s power system. The project would also support Norway’s offshore wind plans and new industrial development.
The modernization represents a substantial investment into mainland Norway. It will take about three years before detailed planning can begin, said Statkraft, with construction likely to start in 2026.
Statkraft sais it is.continuously assessing the need for rehabilitation and the possibility of upgrading or expanding and re-designing it’s hydropower plants and is in the process of reviewing the entire hydropower portfolio to evaluate profitable projects. “We believe that there will be more similar projects in the years ahead,” said Executive Vice President for Production at Statkraft, Hilde Bakken.
Statkraft has invested more than NOK 20 billion in Norwegian hydropower since 2005 and has so far in 2022 opened two hydropower plants, Storlia and Vesle Kjela power plants in Eidfjord municipality and Vinje municipality, respectively.
Statkraft CEO Christian Rynning-Tønnesen at the existing Mauranger power plant with Norway's Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Terje Aasland, (right) and head of communication for the ministry of Petroleum and Energy, Arvid Samland
