Hydropower in Norway -With focus on Small Hydro -Prepared for the AHEC course
”Grid Based Small Hydropower Development” Roorkee, 27 Jan.-9 Feb. 2005
Tore S Jørgensen International Centre for Hydropower
Some key facts • • • • • • • •
Land area: 326,000 km2 4,5 million inhabitants 99 % of electricity from hydro 27,000 MW installed capacity Mean annual production 118 TWh Real capital in the hydel system >200 BNOK Yearly operating income 60-65 BNOK About 17,000 employees
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Why so much hydropower? • A mountainous country; 40 % of land area above 600 m • High precipitation; 300-6,000 mm/year; average 1,400 mm/year • 4,000 river systems; 25-30 % are developed • 240,000 lakes, covering 5,5 % of land area • Low evaporation due to cold climate International Centre for Hydropower
Mean runoff 1961-1990
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The hydropower system • • • •
580 plants >1 MW 825 reservoirs 330 large dams 3,500-4,000 km rock tunnels • Nearly half of the world’s underground plants (200 plants) International Centre for Hydropower
Nesjø dam
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Variations in water inflow and power production during a year
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Inflow characteristics • Large yearly variations in precipitation • Inflow high during snow melting (MayJune) • Pattern of demand the reverse of fluctuations in inflow • Reservoir capacity 84 TWh • 20 % variation in annual production International Centre for Hydropower
Electricity consumption in households according to purpose
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Per capita energy use
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Effect of climate change • Previously: – Using inflow time series for 1931-1990 gave annual yearly production of 114 TWh
• Now: – In 2001 it was changed to inflow time series for 1970-1999; gives annual yearly production of 119 TWh
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Installed capacity
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Some facts • The 10 largest power plants account for about 25 % of the production capacity • Largest power plant is Kvilldal: Installed capacity of 1240 MW (3 turbines, 530 m head) • Largest run-of-river plant is Solbergfoss: 208 MW (14 turbines, 20 m head)
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Solbergfoss power plant
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Import/export of power
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Hydropower plants as per 2002
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Number of small hydro plants
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Digital resource mapping • Based on digital maps, terrain models and GIS: – Locate relevant heads in the river – Calculate catchment area and run-off at top of each head – Mark heads with sufficient flow for a small hydro station – Calculate the production potential by use of GIS International Centre for Hydropower
Prerequisites • • • • •
River stretches with slope >1:25 Heads 10 – 600 m River flow 0.05 – 25 m3/s 70 % of the water can be utilized Installed capacities 50 – 5000 kW
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Method • Find river course from outlet to source • Calculate profile point every 50 m • Calculate slope every 50 m: – > 1:25 green – < 1:25 black
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Example of river profile
â&#x20AC;˘ Blue triangle: Proposed intake â&#x20AC;˘ Yellow circle: Proposed power station International Centre for Hydropower
Cost estimates â&#x20AC;˘ Cost estimates for road access and power line construction by means of GIS â&#x20AC;˘ Cost estimates for power station based on head, capacity, flow, length of headrace tunnel, distance to road access and cost manual for small hydro plants
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Potential sites; 55% of Norway analyzed
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Potential sites in one county
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Potential sites; one municipality
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Potential sites; one municipality Cost NOK/kWh <3
No. 31
Capacity MW 31
Production GWh 127
3-5
29
8
20
60
39
147
1 US $ = NOK 6,20 International Centre for Hydropower
Small hydro potential â&#x20AC;˘ The digital resource mapping indicates a total potential of 18 TWh with construction costs below 3 NOK/KWh â&#x20AC;˘ Realistic to build 5 TWh within next 10 years
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Thank you
International Centre for Hydropower