Local news Norway

09/10/2024: ANDRITZ enhances Norway’s largest run-of-river plant, Vamma

Norway’s largest run-of-river hydropower plant, Vamma, will undergo a major modernization: Norwegian utility Hafslund has selected international technology group ANDRITZ to upgrade one of the plant’s turbine-generator units. This will improve the performance and efficiency of Vamma’s unit 11, reinforcing the plant’s role as a key contributor to Norway’s renewable energy sector.

The project will increase the unit’s capacity by 22%, from......

16/04/2024: Refurbishment of Straumsmo hydropower plant in Norway

The Straumsmo hydropower plant is located in the north of Norway and makes an important contribution to the country's renewable energy sources. The plant, which is owned by Statkraft and is equipped with two 85 MVA units, has generated around 660 GWh of renewable and sustainable energy annually since it was commissioned in 1966.

However, in early 2023, a setback struck when the generator at unit G2 experienced a breakdown. In response, ANDRITZ was called upon to undertake the careful dismantling of the unit, presenting significant challenges due to asbestos treatment requirements.

With a steadfast commitment to health, safety, security, and environmental (HSSE) standards, ANDRITZ approached the task with utmost care and professionalism and in close collaboration with Statkraft.

In spring 2023, ANDRITZ Hydro Norway carried out the extensive dismantling work following the unit breakdown. The treatment of asbestos, which is known for its carcinogenic properties, presented unprecedented challenges, requiring innovative approaches to ensure the safety of all involved as well as of the environment throughout the whole project. ANDRITZ focused on maintaining the highest health, safety and environmental standards and mastered this task with precision and care, setting new standards for asbestos treatment in Norway.

This achievement underlines not only ANDRITZ's technical capabilities, but also its commitment to sustainable solutions and responsible business practices.

ANDRITZ is proud to have also been selected by Statkraft to supply a new stator and poles for unit G2 at the Straumsmo hydropower plant. With site activities scheduled to commence in the summer of 2024, this endeavor underscores ANDRITZ’ unwavering dedication to excellence and sustainability in the hydroelectric sector.

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06/03/2024: ANDRITZ Hydro and Ringerikskraft forge tomorrow's energy operators

In the heart of Hønefoss city center, a supplier and a producer come together to take a step into the future through groundbreaking cooperation. ANDRITZ Hydro and Ringerikskraft Production have embarked on a collaboration to educate the next generation of energy operators, a crucial initiative as the industry faces a need for 3,000 to 4,000 new skilled personnel in the coming years. Alf Inge Berget, CEO of Ringerikskraft, and Kjetil Toverud, CEO of ANDRITZ Hydro, highlight the essence of the collaboration. “ This is a unique collaboration creating new opportunities”, Toverud stated.

The first apprentice
The inaugural apprentice to join this educational program is 18-year-old Sander Øyhus Pihl from Hedalen in Valdres. Through a meticulously crafted 2.5-year apprenticeship program, tailored with significant contributions from Øderud, Sander's education to become an energy operator promises him an exciting and rewarding career in the hydropower industry.

The educational pathway
The learning program is designed as a "trainee model" with a series of modules. These modules encompass everything from turbine and generator technology, electrical and automation skills, to the maintenance of power stations, offering comprehensive preparation for the young energy operators. "This collaboration is special and unique," emphasizes Atle Øderud, highlighting how local roots are combined with national expertise through the program.

Marketing and an ambitious future
ANDRITZ Hydro and Ringerikskraft have jointly conducted information days at local high schools to promote the educational offering and the importance of the hydropower industry. Torjus Winther of ANDRITZ Hydro and Anders Aasen of Ringerikskraft both emphasize their desire to attract young talents and enhance diversity, including better gender balance. Through active visits to high schools, Winther and Aasen have inspired many young individuals to consider this career path.

Atle Øderud from ANDRITZ Hydro has been at the forefront of driving forward and developing this concept and partnership. This initiative is not only an investment in the industry's future but also in Norway's energy security and sustainable development. As Sander and future apprentices step into a bright future, they represent not only the next generation of energy operators but also stand ready to contribute to an industry critical for the nation's well-being and future.

The training program spans 2.5 years and is structured as follows:

Module 1; ANDRITZ Hydro and Ringerikskraft; duration 6 months: Onboarding seminar (OKE) and integration into the companies;
Module 2; ANDRITZ Hydro; duration 6 months: Turbine/generator/AT&EPS/HPU in workshop and field;
Module 3; ANDRITZ Hydro; duration 6 months: Turbine/generator/AT&EPS/HPU in workshop and field;
Module 4; Ringerikskraft; duration 6 months: Daily operation and maintenance of the company's power stations;
Module 5; ANDRITZ Hydro and Ringerikskraft; duration 6 months: Specialization in work based on candidate's interest;

Apprentices are required to undergo instructed training organized by the training office. The sequence of module completion may vary, with close communication between the companies and adaptation to the tasks. In joint projects between the companies, arrangements should always be made to involve apprentices.

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07/02/2024: Production Technology Conference PTK 2024

March 5-7, 2024, at The Qube conference center, Gardermoen Oslo Airport

Fornybar Norge are organizing the Production Technology Conference PTK 2024. This year the event is held from March 5-7, 2024, at The Qube conference center, Gardermoen Oslo Airport.

The motto of the conference is "Power to action - from talk to production!" With over 500 participants, 50 sponsors and exhibitors, the hydropower industry will come together to discuss topics relating to the energy transition and the measures required to meet the energy needs of the future, as well as what is needed to put strategies and plans into action.

ANDRITZ will be there! We are looking forward to three days of presentations, good discussions, mingling, and experience sharing. We are excited to meet you!

Save the date! Registration is open!
Visit us at booth 53.

Event facts:

PTK 2024 Mission: Power to action - from talk to production!
When: March 5-7, 2024
Where: m The Qube conference center, Gardermoen Oslo Airport
Organizer: Fornybar Norge
Webpage event: Production Engineering Conference (PTK) 2024 (fornybarnorge.no)
Registration link: Produksjonsteknisk konferanse 2024 (provisoevent.no)

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02/02/2024: Norway, Kick-off 2024

This year's kick-off event marked a historic milestone for ANDRITZ Hydro AS it brought together our talented colleagues from Norway, Sweden, and Finland for an unforgettable gathering, led by Kjetil Toverud, CEO for ANDRITZ Hydropower in Norway and Sweden.

Frédéric Sauze, CEO of ANDRITZ Hydropower, electrified the room with his inspirational speech, igniting enthusiasm among the audience. Antti Kultanen, CEO for ANDRITZ Hydropower in Finland, then unveiled an exciting new collaboration between the Nordic locations - a development poised to captivate both our existing and future clients.

As attendees departed, they carried with them an optimistic vision for the future. Together, we are fully equipped to confront new challenges and soar to unparalleled heights in 2024 and offer our latest technology and services to the market. Let's make this year a remarkable journey of growth and success!

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31/05/2023: Gresslifoss, Norway – Contract for refurbishment

The Gresslifoss hydropower plant in Norway, owned and operated by Statkraft, is set to undergo a refurbishment project.

Gresslifoss is an underground hydropower plant using the water from the Neavassdraget and located in the Tydal municipality, about 104 km from Trondheim.

ANDRITZ was contracted to upgrade the vertical Kaplan turbine with a capacity of 21 MW, a flow capacity 80 m3/s to 97.6 m3/s, and a head of 34 m. The scope of the contract includes the supply of a new five-bladed Kaplan runner, refurbishment of the turbine, the generator, the intake gate, and several other improvements. To ensure the effectiveness of the upgrades, a model test will be conducted by ANDRITZ Hydro in Linz, Austria. The test will be supervised by the R&D department from ANDRITZ Hydro Finland.

Statkraft, as Norway's leading hydropower company and Europe's largest provider of renewable energy, plays a crucial role in the country's renewable energy market. The company operates numerous hydropower plants, as well as wind power, solar power, and gas-fired power plants. With approximately 5,300 employees across 21 countries, Statkraft is committed to the development of renewable energy sources in Norway and beyond.

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24/03/2023: Thank you for visiting our booth at PTK2023, Trondheim

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers and business partners for visiting our booth at this year’s PTK2023.

We are very pleased with the large number of visitors to our booth. The exhibition provided a great opportunity to present our latest equipment and solutions. We thank you for your interest in our products and hope you enjoyed your visit!

If you have any further questions or would like more information about our products, please feel free to contact us: contact-hydro.no@andritz.com

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06/03/2023: Production Technology Conference PTK 2023

This year the event is held from March 13-15, 2023, at Clarion Hotel in Trondheim. The conference is themed Mission: More power! With over 450 participants, 45 sponsors and exhibitors the hydropower industry is coming together to discuss topics around the energy transition and the measures necessary to meet the energy needs of the future.

ANDRITZ will be there! We are looking forward to meeting you again face-to-face and to three days of presentations, good discussions, and experience sharing.

Visit us at booth 9!

Event facts:
-   PTK 2023 Mission: More power!
-   When: March 13-15, 2023
-   Where: Clarion Hotel Trondheim
-   Organizer: Fornybar Norge
-   Webpage event: Production Technical Conference (PTK) 2023

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January 2022: Mørkedøla, Norway – Equipment for pump station

In 2021, ANDRITZ in Norway was awarded a contract to build the new Pump station at Mørkedøla.

The scope of the contract includes two pumps, bifurcation pipe with pump valves, check valves and service valves, pipe rupture valve, asynchronous motors, two main transformers 22 - / 6.6 kV, 22 kV switch gear, AT equipment and auxiliary systems.

The assignment involves pumping water from Mørkedøla up into the existing tunnel system between Eldrevatn and Vasetvatn, which is employed for power production in Borgund and Stuvane power plants.

The surplus energy from the pumped water into the tunnel system gives a net production of about 34 GWh per year in Borgund HEPP and Stuvane HEPP. The new pump station will be installed without any major negative consequence for the landscape and outdoor life. Released environmental water from the dam at Mørkedøla is ensuring minimum water flow to the downstream riverbed and the civil structures are adapted to the surroundings to the best possible extent.

ANDRITZ is proud to be part of this project and the solution we offer for this project. The pump station will have a limited effect on the overall load of the area's natural values. The project is scheduled to be completed in mid-2023.

Østfold Energi AS is a Norwegian energy producer within the business areas of hydropower, wind power and district heating. The company operates 10 hydropower plants located in Western – and Northern Norway as well as their home district around the main office in Østfold. Total annual energy production of 2 200 GWh per year.

With this order ANDRITZ is strengthening its market position in Norway not only as a global leading supplier of electro-mechanical equipment for hydropower plants but also as an important supplier of the pump business with top-tier solutions.

Technical details:
Scope:    Two vertical line shaft pumps - AVLSP460-16-4 with 3,5 MW drives
Flow rate:    1m³/s
Head:        285 m
Speed:    995 rpm
Voltage:    6.6 kV

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December 2021: Årlifoss and Grønvollfoss, Norway – Large automation rehabilitation order

One of the larger ANDRITZ Hydro automation orders globally within service and rehabilitation in 2020 is now well into the execution phase.

Årlifoss and Grønvollfoss are two Norwegian run-of-river hydropower plants located within 5 km on the same river, and 125 km west of Oslo. They are owned and operated by Skagerak Kraft - a utility company with about 4% of total electricity output in Norway.

The rehabilitations are carried out jointly as one project with final take-over by the customer in the end of 2024. The project is an excellent example of collaboration across ANDRITZ locations. Project management, system engineering, design, and site supervision are all done by the ANDRITZ team in Jevnaker, Norway, while colleagues in the Czech Republic are responsible for programming, automation FAT and commissioning.

The first phases of Årlifoss with control of head water level, spillway gates and common functions will already be commissioned and taken over by Skagerak by December of this year, says Project Manager Øyvind Kristiansen. Start-up for Grønvollfoss engineering is in November, he adds.

In the Norwegian hydro market customers typically have common contracts for control and Electric Power Systems (EPS) systems in greenfield and refurbishment projects. At ANDRITZ Norway sales and project execution teams are organized to operate in this common Automation and EPS market. Control and protection system with turbine governor, control of spillway gates, redundant level control, AC and DC station supply, several Medium voltage switchgears for generator-grid coupling and station supply are all in the scope of delivery to both power plants.

The new control systems are designed to meet the requirements of the EU Machinery Directive for the turbine-generator-transformer system. Critical functions like PLC’s and monitoring of bearing temperatures, runaway speed, and synchronization are also duplicated in autonomous units, which is standard for this generator size.

Both power plants are equipped with Kaplan turbines, providing reliable and clean energy to 15,000 homes. Årlifoss came into operation already in 1915 and has since then undertaken several upgrades. Today, the plant has one 26 MW generator and a head of 16 meters.
Grønvollfoss was originally built in 1933 and has currently two generators at a total installed capacity of 32 MW and 23 meters head.
Skagerak has awarded ANDRITZ a second contract for the mechanical upgrade at Årlifoss with replacement of rotor and other generator upgrades, a new ANDRITZ Kaplan turbine, and new high-pressure oil unit for the turbine governor.

In accordance with the ISO 14001 certification of the ANDRITZ Group and the environmental emphasis by the customer, there is a focus on short transportation and regional production in Norway. The switchgear will be supplied with environmentally friendly breaker medium.

We are grateful that Skagerak Kraft has awarded this important contract to ANDRITZ and are looking forward to a successful completion of the project.

Technical Details:

Årlifoss
Total output:26 MW
Scope: 1 x 26 MW
Head: 16 m
Voltage:9.5 kV
Speed: 136.4 rpm
Runner diameter: 4,500 mm

Grønvollfoss
Total output: 32 MW
Scope: 2 x 16 MW
Head: 23 m
Voltage: 8.0 kV
Speed: 200 rpm
Runner diameter: 3,120 mm

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June 2021: HPP Fjæremsfossen, Norway – Rehabilitation of flood gates

Through 2021, ANDRITZ will refurbish a total of nine gates and deliver one new bypass gate with hydraulic lifting equipment for the hydropower plant Fjæremsfossen on the Nidelv River in Norway.

To meet the government requirements and extend the lifetime of the existing gates, ANDRITZ will refurbish all the nine flood- and bottom outlet gates at the Fjæremsfoss dam. The scope also includes one new bypass gate with hydraulics lifting equipment and stop logs for both the flood gates and the bypass gate. The bypass gate and stop logs are going to be produced in our workshop at Jevnaker, Norway. Whereas the gates are going to be sandblasted and painted at site by a sub-supplier.

The Fjæremsfossen power plant was commissioned in 1957 and is still in daily operation. It is located in the lower part of the Nidelv watercourse / waterfall with both inlet and outlet in the river. The power plant utilizes a drop of 27 meters and has two Francis turbines with a capacity of 9.2 MW each installed. The turbines have a total annual production of approx. 74 GWh. The power plant has a maximum absorption capacity of 85 m3/s.

Self-imposed restrictions mean that draining is not permitted. The reason for the restrictions is the danger that a drainage can lead to quick clay landslides upstream of the dam.

The project is scheduled to be executed until end of 2021.

Statkraft is a leading company in hydropower internationally and Europe’s largest generator of renewable energy. With 4,000 employees in 17 countries, the group produces hydropower, wind power, solar power, gas-fired power and supplies district heating.

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November 2020: Aurland 1, Norway - Successful acceptance tests for a new class of high-performance runner.

Beginning of October, the model acceptance tests for the rehabilitation of the existing turbines at HPP Aurland I were successfully completed. The fully homologous model tests have been witnessed in the ANDRITZ Pelton hydraulic Laboratory (Vevey, Switzerland) with the online participation by representatives from the customer Hafslund E-CO and Norconsult with the local consulting by Etaeval.