Hydropower plants in western Norway to be modernized

ABB has been selected by Statkraft to modernize the control, protection and electrical systems at the Vikfalli hydropower complex in western Norway, in a project designed to extend the operating life of three plants while strengthening their role in the country’s electricity system. The Vikfalli complex, located in Vik municipality around 170km northeast of Bergen, consists of the Målset, Refsdal and Hove power stations. Together, the three facilities have five generating units and produce approximately 830GWh of electricity each year – enough to supply around 53,000 Norwegian homes. ABB’s contract covers a comprehensive upgrade of the plants’ control, protection, excitation and electrical infrastructure. The work will introduce modern digital and monitoring systems while integrating them with existing turbine equipment supplied by other manufacturers. At the center of the control upgrade will be the ABB Ability system 800xA, which will provide a common operational and monitoring platform across the three facilities. The project will also see ABB’s Unitrol 8000 excitation systems installed across all five generating units. Additional work will include new low- and medium-voltage electrical systems, cybersecurity measures, vibration monitoring and protection equipment, digital solutions and cable installation. Strategic importance The assets are critical to Norway’s delivery of reliable, low-carbon electricity. The integration of modern excitation and protection systems supports compliance with evolving grid codes for generators and contributes stability and resilience capabilities essential in a power system that accommodates growing volumes of variable renewable energy. Discussing the upcoming work, Inge Hass, power plant manager of group Sogn, Statkraft, said: “The upgrade of Vikfalli is an important step in strengthening Norway’s renewable energy infrastructure and we worked closely with ABB from the earliest stage to ensure the solution was optimized.” Hydropower is the world’s third-largest source of electricity and the sector is particularly strong in Norway, which generates approximately 90% of its electricity from hydropower for both domestic supply and as a balancing resource for interconnected European markets. “Hydropower is an important part of an expanding energy system, helping to grow renewable capacity and deliver stable baseload power to the grid,” said Per Erik Holsten, president of ABB’s Energy Industries division. “The priority now is ensuring that existing assets such as Vikfalli are equipped to fulfil that role for future needs with modern control and digital solutions that enable them to run more safely, cleaner and leaner, and to be ready for tomorrow’s grid requirements.” Close collaboration The contract follows a period of collaboration between ABB and Statkraft that began during the early development stages of the project. The companies worked together to establish and refine the technical solution before the main contract was awarded, an approach that reflects a broader shift towards involving technology suppliers earlier in major upgrades to critical energy infrastructure. Site activities at Målset are scheduled to begin in 2028, with Refsdal and Hove to follow in 2029. Originally published in Factor This sister publication Enlit World.