The New Tyin power station in Upper Årdal in Sogn was officially opened by Hydro on 2 December. Following an upgrade of NOK 1.3 billion, electricity production is increased by 15 percent without making any major new impact on the landscape.
Although the official opening took place on Thursday, the new power plant has been in production since 1 October. New Tyin can produce 200 GWh more electricity a year than the old power station. Production is market driven and can be stopped and started up to five times a day – according to demand. The fact that production is normally run at half-time is due to there not being enough water in Tyin for continuous operation.
“New Tyin is the largest power development in Norway in the last 10 years, and the largest upgrade of a Norwegian power station. It has been a pleasure to work on this environmentally-friendly project, which will contribute much needed electricity to the market, at the same time as the impact on the landscape will soon be healed,” says Knut Johan Malvik, who is responsible for power production in the business area Oil & Energy in Hydro.
The opening ceremony took place in the power station hall, which is 1,600 metres in the mountainside at the bottom of the tunnel from Temrebakkene in upper Årdal. The mayor of Årdal, Arild Ingar Lægreid, pressed a button to start the aggregates in the power station.
Still a power deficit in Norway
“It is important for Hydro as a complete energy company to contribute to the energy supply. More efficient utilization of hydropower is one way to go, but so are proactive efforts in wind power and increased use on land of the gas from the Norwegian continental shelf,” comments Tore Torvund, executive vice president in Hydro.
Hydro estimates that Norway has an unrealized hydropower potential of 12 TWh. Nevertheless large amounts of power are imported each year. In 2015, Norway will have a deficit of 15 TWh in a normal year if further steps are not taken. In a country with a good deal of energy-intensive industry, the situation is developing where growth in production is lower than growth in demand.
“The demand for electricity is steadily increasing in Norway, and with a growing deficit in the power balance, it is natural to look for opportunities for ensuring Norway and Norwegian industry sufficient energy,” concludes Torvund.
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New Tyin – key figures
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