Landscape and cultural heritage

Landscape

The development of Sauland Power Plant will involve minor interventions in the landscape: intake constructions, outlets, thresholds, spoil heaps, roads and switching stations. No new overhead power lines will be built.

For the most part, the individual interventions have been assessed as having a low to medium negative impact, with an overall impact of medium negative. The impact of the intake at Sønderlandsvatn lake (without mitigation measures) was assessed as mostly negative
(medium to high negative impact). The plans have therefore been supplemented by a rest area as a mitigation measure. According to the expert report focusing on landscape, the planned rest area will give the area an 'aesthetic boost'.

The spoil heaps are well adapted to the landscape and either not visible or barely visible from the road and residential areas. The impact of four of the spoil heaps has been assessed as insignificant to low impact, and two of the heaps as low to medium negative impact.

The changed flow of the watercourse is the most obvious impact of the development after the power plant is commissioned. The changed flow in Hjartdøla river is considered to have a low to medium negative impact on the landscape. The impact of reduced flow due to the stream intakes in Tuddal and Vesleå/Kjempa in Lonargrend is considered to be low to medium. The impact of the reduced flow in Skogsåa, Skorva and Omnesfossen on the surrounding landscape has been assessed as medium negative impact..

INON

Intervention-free areas will be affected to an insignificant degree. The project involves a reduction of intervention-free natural areas (INON) of around 0.6 square metres.

Cultural heritage and cultural environment

In total, Sauland Power Plant will have little negative impact on the cultural heritage or cultural environment in Hjartdal and Tuddal.

Two measures will stand out: the spoil heap in Hjartdal, which will come into contact with some clearance cairns, and the intake by the dam in Sønderlandsvatn. These two industrial areas will have a medium to high negative impact on cultural heritage without the mitigation measures that have been proposed. Based on SWECO’s impact assessment, the developer has out of consideration for cultural heritage adjusted the spoil heap plans in Lonargrend, and the design of the dam at the outlet to Sønderlandsvatn, to reduce these effects. At the outlet to Sønderlandsvatn, it is desirable to draw attention to the remains of the old timber rafting constructions when developing the rest area.

Otherwise, the degree of impact for the various industrial areas is between insignificant and low. The reduced flow past the Omnesfossen waterfall and the cultural environment of Heddal Mill are considered to have a medium negative impact.