The Låvi plant will strengthen the grid in the context of rising demand and increased growth of variable renewable power, and help smooth the increasing price fluctuations in the Norwegian power system, Hafslund announced on 20 March.
The planned station, which is to be equipped with two Pelton units, is designed to exploit the head from Viddalsvatnet (930 m) down to the Aurlandsfjord. The plant will operate in parallel with Aurland 1 and will utilize parts of the water flow that currently runs through the Aurland 1 and Vangen hydropower plants.
“The Låvi plant utilizes existing reser- voirs in a highly efficient way and makes a significant contribution when demand is highest, particularly on cold winter days. This is a good use of hydropower’s flexibility,” Hafslund Kraft’s CEO Kristin Lian said.
The request for a licence is being studied by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate. If approved in 2028 and the next stages of development proceed on schedule, the powerplant could be operational in 2033, Hafslund has predicted.
The Låvi project will have limited environmental impact, as it will make use of an existing reservoir and will not involve new transfers or changes in the highest and lowest regulated water levels, the utility adds. It will, moreover, create significant ripple effects for local businesses, with about 10 to 15 per cent of investment costs going to regional suppliers. Aurland municipality will increase property taxes and natural resource tax.
With the 840 MW Aurland 1 plant, Låvi will constitute one of Norway’s most important sources of power, and together they will have the country’s largest installed hydro capacity.
Hafslund is a renewable energy group, which is 100 per cent owned by the City of Oslo. Hafslund owns, operates and maintains more than 80 hydro plants, through Hafslund Kraft, a majority owned subsidiary, with a com- bined installed capacity of approximately 5200 MW and average annual output of 21 TWh. This provides system services to the power system, and sells power in the wholesale market.
Of its hydropower business’s annual average production, about 60 per cent is adjustable (reservoir-based) and about 40 per cent non-adjustable (run- of-river). Approximately 59 per cent of normal production is in price area NO1 (Southeast Norway), 36 per cent is in price area NO5 (Western Norway), and 5 per cent is in price area NO3 (Central Norway). It is also Norway’s largest supplier of district heating, and has a 50 per cent stake in Eidsiva Energi, which wholly owns Elvia, Norway’s largest grid company.
