Hafslund granted license for new power plant in Hallingdal

The Ministry of Energy has granted Hafslund a license for the Hemsil 3 power plant in Hallingdal. The power plant will provide approximately 110 GWh of new, renewable electricity by better utilizing the drop between Eikredammen and Gol. This equals the annual electricity consumption of around 15,000 people.

“This project shows how, by rethinking existing developed watercourses, significant new amounts of power can be obtained by utilizing water resources in a better way. We simply get more power out of every drop,” says Kristin Lian, CEO of Hafslund Kraft.

The Hemsil watercourse is already affected by previous hydropower developments through the construction of the Hemsil 1 and Hemsil 2 power plants. Like Hemsil 2, the new power plant will have its intake at Eikredammen in Hemsedal municipality. A new tunnel will be built in rock parallel to the existing tunnel for Hemsil 2, and the power station will be located underground in connection with the Hemsil 2 power station in Gol. Hemsil 3 will discharge into the Hallingdalselva river near the current outlet of Hemsil 2.

The project will increase power production at Hemsil 2 by approximately 110 GWh through even better utilization of water resources than today. The installed capacity will increase from 98 to 181 MW, improving the power plant’s ability to produce electricity when demand is highest.