Norwegian energy company Statkraft has submitted a licence application to upgrade its historic Nore hydropower facilities, aiming to boost capacity and improve flexibility in electricity production as part of a broader investment in renewable infrastructure.
The planned investment totals NOK 4 billion (€340 million) and involves modernising the Nore 1 and Nore 2 hydropower plants located on the Numedalslågen river. Statkraft said the upgrade will allow for more responsive power generation and help stabilise electricity prices as variable renewable sources like wind and solar become more prominent.
“In the coming years, Statkraft will build the next-generation hydropower system, and we will start five major upgrades by 2030,” said President and CEO Birgitte Ringstad Vartdal. “The licence application for upgrading and expanding the Nore plants is an important step in that direction.”
Built in 1928 and 1946 respectively, Nore 1 and Nore 2 have played a central role in Norway’s power supply. At the time of its construction, Nore 1 produced one-fifth of the country’s total electricity and was key to Oslo’s early industrialisation, according to Statkraft.
“When the first Nore plant was built, it was the largest in the country… now, 100 years later, we will ensure that it supplies the Norwegian society with electricity for another 100 years,” Vartdal said.
Statkraft is evaluating two upgrade options. Its preferred solution would consolidate both facilities into a single, underground power station, nearly doubling installed capacity from 274 megawatts (MW) to 500 MW and increasing annual electricity production by around 200 gigawatt-hours (GWh), bringing total output to about 1,700 GWh.
An alternative plan would involve relocating the two existing plants into the mountain without consolidation. This option would raise capacity by 65 MW and add around 150 GWh to annual production.
“In the power system of the future, there will be a great need to regulate production to deliver more electricity in a short amount of time,” said project manager Hanne Kristin Ommedal. “More capacity can help reduce price peaks, as more and more unregulated renewable power enters the power mix.”
The application will be reviewed by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE), with a public consultation process to follow. The final decision on licensing will be made by the Ministry of Energy.
