Energy & Utilities
Harnessing new hydroturbine technology Rainpower is a leading independent European hydropower group specialising in the manufacture of hydro-turbines and power plant modernisation services. The company is also the Nordic countries’ leading supplier of advanced control systems. Philip Yorke reports on a dynamic company that is committed to innovation and creating the most efficient renewable energy systems.
R
ainpower’s roots go back to 1853 when the company was established in Lodalen, Norway as Kvaerner Energy, which started making turbines for hydro-power in the early 1890s. However Rainpower itself is a relatively young company that was formed in 2007 when General Electric sold its Norwegian hydropower operations to the Industrial conglomerate NLI. Today Rainpower supplies an extensive range of equipment for hydro-power plants that includes generators, valves and turbine governors. Rainpower’s services span the entire value chain from the development of technical solutions to turnkey solutions and the commissioning of power plants. The company’s core business activities are focused on new product development, the manufacture of turbines and electro-mechanical solutions for the supply of renewable energy. In addition, it offers an unrivalled range of tailor-made customer services for the upgrading and modernisation of existing power plants, and the maintenance of hydraulic power stations. Today Rainpower is a truly global player that is supplying products and services that provide more efficient and cost-effective renewable energy for consumers from Norway to western Europe, China and the Americas.
Focus on innovation Rainpower is a 100 per cent privately owned Norwegian company which has its headquarters in Kjeller, Norway, where it employs around 400 people. In 2017 Rainpower recorded revenues of more than 700 MNOK. The company has always led from the front with a strong focus on new product development and innovative technical solutions. Located within its headquarters is a technological centre of excellence where it works on medium and high head turbine projects. Rainpower also has an extensive turbine laboratory in Trondheim, Norway and a fabrication and service facility in Sorumsound. In addition, the company has a highly specialised and dedicated facility in Oslo where it develops advanced control systems for hydro-power installations. At its state-of-the-art turbine laboratory in Trondheim, Rainpower offers commercial model design and testing, manufacturing, geometry measurements and field measurements. Meanwhile at its workshop location in Sorumsound, it is focused on installation, commissioning and the production of ‘Francis runners’ and injectors, as well as the rehabilitation and upgrading of turbines, governors and valve controls. This is also the location from which the company operates its 24/7 emergency services. Industry Europe 89
