Fortum makes substantial investments in dam safety in Sweden
Fortum will make a substantial investment in dam safety in Sweden where an extensive rebuild is planned for the over 100-year-old Forshuvud hydropower plant.
Fortum will invest just over SEK 450 million (approximately EUR 45 million) during 2021-2025. With this investment Fortum wants to guarantee the plant’s continued life span as a supplier of renewable electricity and balancing power for more weather-dependent types of power.
Forshuvud hydropower plant on the river Dalälven dates back to the 1920s and, despite refurbishments in 1990 and 1998, the original power station remains as part of the dam. Forshuvud will now have a completely new power station, as well as upgrades to the extension dam. Fortum is collaborating with the Swedish construction company NCC in this project.
The power plant has an output of 44 MW and it produces approximately 229 GWh of electricity annually. It is thus an important component in the Swedish energy system. In 2019, Fortum installed the Nordic region’s largest battery plant in connection with Forshuvud. The battery enables faster regulation of the frequency in the electricity grid with less wear on turbines and generators.
“Investments of this kind are crucial for hydropower to be able to continue as a cornerstone in Swedish CO2-free electricity production,” says Toni Kekkinen, Vice President, Hydropower at Fortum.
“For us, this investment is very much about safety – for the staff at the facility, for the surrounding environment, and for the operation of the business. We are happy to collaborate with NCC in this project that will deliver sustainable solutions for dam safety and continued efficient operations,” Toni Kekkinen continues.
For industries close by, such as steel manufacturer SSAB and Kvarnsveden’s paper mill downstream of Forshuvud, stable deliveries of electricity are absolutely necessary. According to plans, the rebuild project will not affect electricity production.
Fortum Corporation
Communications
Further information:
Jonas Morian, Communications Manager, Fortum Generation Hydro, jonas.morian@fortum.com, +46(0)705-64 19 84
Read more:
Press release 16 May 2019: New Fortum batteries enhance renewable energy capacity
https://www.fortum.com/media/2019/05/new-fortum-batteries-enhance-renewable-energy-capacity
Read more about hydropower
https://www.fortum.com/about-us/our-company/our-energy-production/hydropower-renewable-and-clean-energy
Fortum
Fortum is a European energy company with activities in more than 40 countries. We provide our customers with electricity, gas, heating and cooling as well as smart solutions to improve resource efficiency. We want to engage our customers and society to join the change for a cleaner world. Together with our subsidiary Uniper, we are the third largest producer of CO2-free electricity in Europe. With approximately 19,000 professionals and a combined balance sheet of approximately EUR 69 billion, we have the scale, competence and resources to grow and to drive the energy transition forward. Fortum's share is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki and Uniper's share on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. www.fortum.com
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