The photo is sourced from vattenfall.com
The first of the four projects will be the modernisation of the idle unit at the Lule River-based Harsprånget HPP that accounts for 13% of the hydroelectric power plant’s capacity (110 MW of 818 MW). The second project aims to increase the runoff at the Lule River-based Porjus HPP in the northeastern province of Norrbotten, which will raise the HPP’s capacity by 80 MW. The third initiative is the modernisation of the Juktan HPP on Lake Storjuktan next to the Ume River in central Sweden; the conversion of this HPP into a pumped storage power plant (PSPP) will increase the facility’s capacity by 720 MW. Finally, the fourth project is the construction of a new unit at the Lule River-based Messaure HPP with the purpose of expanding the HPP’s capacity by 150 MW. All these projects will be implemented in the period from 2024 to 2032.
“This is necessary to meet the rising demand for fossil-free electricity, which is a must if we are to reach our climate goals. Hydro-power reservoirs are Sweden’s green batteries and by adding new flexibility and balancing capabilities, we are paving the way for a greater proportion of wind and solar power in the electrical system,” Johan Dasht, head of Vattenfall’s hydropower operations in the Nordics, is quoted as saying by Vattenfall.
The aggregate capacity of hydroelectric power plants operating in Sweden is 16,000 MW, of which Vattenfall accounts for 8,500 MW. According to the Ember think tank, the share of HPPs in Sweden’s energy mix at the end of 2022 was 40% (including facilities not owned by Vattenfall). The other 60% came primarily from nuclear power plants (30%) and wind, solar and biomass generators (28%), whereas the share of units running on fuel oil or natural gas was a mere 2%. This puts Sweden ahead of most EU countries in terms of specific greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector, which stand at 45 grams of CO2-equivalent per 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) for Sweden and at 277 grams of CO2-equivalent per kWh for the EU on average.
The role and importance of hydropower in the context of growing demand for clean energy is the focus of the film The Great Watershed 2023 (RUS: Мировой водораздел – 2023) by Sergey Brilev, President of the Global Energy Association. The film is available on Global Energy’s online resources.
