Åbjøra
© PeltonMan, Wikimedia Commons
Åbjøra Power Plant is located in the Bægna watercourse. This power station is located in Valdres, south of Fagernes and west of the Aurdalfjord. The power plant was commissioned in 1951. In 2002, a new power station 250 metres further into the mountainside was commissioned.
Åbjøra Power Plant gets its water from several large reservoirs on Golsfjellet mountain.
The regulation dams Tisleifjord and Flyvatn are located above the intake reservoir Bløytjern/Ølsjøen. Helin and Storevatn are also reservoirs used by the power plant.
From the intake reservoir in Bløytjern/Ølsjøen, water is transferred 4.5 km through a head race tunnel. Here, the water goes down into a vertical pressure shaft of approx. 380 metres. The water is then diverted towards the turbine through a 260-metre long pressure tunnel. The old power station was located approx. 600 metres inside the mountainside and had three double Pelton turbines with a total output of around 81 MW. These were replaced by one vertical 94 MW Francis turbine in the new station from 2002. Increased output has been achieved by employing this type of turbine and through better utilisation of the waterfall. The Pelton turbines in the old station had to be positioned above the water surface in the Aurdalfjord. The Francis turbine in the new station is located 15 metres further down. After the water has run through the turbine, it is diverted on to the old tailrace tunnel.
Built by Vestfold Kraft and SKK
Vestfold Kraft AS and Skiensfjordens kommunale kraftselskap AS were jointly responsible for the development of Åbjøra Power Plant in 1951. In 2001, the two companies merged to Skagerak Energi AS.
Owner: Skagerak Kraft AS, 100%.
