What we do in hydro power

The safety of our dams is one of our highest priorities.

Swedenergy has recently established new Dam Safety Guidelines including specification on new design floods. We are carrying out an extensive upgrading program for our Swedish dams to meet the requirements in the guidelines.

For some dams the spillway capacity will be increased, while some dams will be heightened and strengthened to allow for higher reservoir levels. The monitoring systems will also be upgraded. We have begun an initial study of Harsprånget. Vattenfall is conducting R&D projects on dam safety – both on its own initiative and in cooperation with the Swedish power industry R&D organisation Elforsk. 

Same effect – higher efficiency

One ongoing reinvestment project involves replacing a 150 MW unit in Akkats, Sweden, with two 75 MW units by 2014. The efficiency of the new units will be higher and will increase energy output by approximately 30 GWh per year. On the R&D agenda is development of methods for accurately verifying efficiency increases, and methods determining different main components status to establish the best timing for reinvestments. This helps us to be very effective in the use of a large reinvestment budget for hydro.

Improved environmental conditions

A research programme aimed at proposing socially and economically viable measures for improving environmental conditions for hydropower is currently being conducted by Vattenfall, in cooperation with the Swedish government agencies for energy, fishing and environmental protection, and Elforsk. Actions aiming at saving the eel population are tested and reviewed through a branch common activity and in cooperation with fish authority.

New technologies give better performance

We have a unique full scale test facility in Porjus, and a laboratory with experimental facilities at Vattenfall’s Development Centre in Älvkarleby. These resources help us to introduce new efficient technology, that may been developed of our deliverers, but now without risking existing generation.

One example: Vattenfall has introduced a new technology – ‘Powerformer’ – at the 75 MW Porsi power plant, after having it tested in Porjus 10 MW test facility in a real operational environment. The Powerformer generates high-voltage electricity and can be connected directly to the electricity network without a transformer. Fewer components and lower current losses result in lower operating costs and lower environmental impact.

Water replaces oil in large hydraulic systems

In the Älvkarleby plant has the largest water hydraulic system in the world been installed to handle the intake gates. It replaces an oil based hydraulic system and is a part of our strategy to reduce ,an already small, risk for emission of oil into river.