Statkraft has inaugurated a small hydro power plant at Palsbu in Norway.
The Norwegian electric power utility built the 6.2MW plant in Nore og Uvdal region, and the 53m3/sec discharge is conveyed to the Tuhovd fjord. Palsbu is the first plant in the country with environmentally-adapted turbine and hydraulic oils, the firm added.
Construction at Palsbu started in early 2006, commissioning was done over the last few months and the plant is expected to produce approximately 22GWh annually.
The power house sits at the base of the Palsbu concrete dam, taking advantage of the head at the existing structure. The turbine type is Kaplan and the head is 5m-15m, Staktkraft has said in a statement.
Statkraft added that plans have long been held for a plant at the site but it was only recently that financial and technological conditions have made it possible to realise the scheme.