This year has been a good one for the Rysna power plant: “The new plant is running 17% over budget and has already reached its annual target.”
ØYLO: “Yeah, it was actually quite fun,” said Andris Belsheim Ellingbø (11).
He had the honor of cutting the ribbon and declaring the Rysna small hydropower plant officially open. By the way, Andris is the son of one of the landowners involved in the project, Eli Belsheim, who owns the land where the power station building stands.
“I found out yesterday that I was going to do this. At first, I thought it might be a bit scary with so many people present, but it went very well,” he said, proudly pointing out that he is still 11 for a few more weeks, but in November, he will join the 12-year-old club.
Andris was also proud to wear his John Deere cap for the occasion. However, his twin brother, Olav, was not interested and refused to participate or comment to the newspaper.
November 18, 2022
Thursday marked a significant event for many in Vang, especially for landowners and the local community, as they officially opened the Rysna power plant, located near the old Torpe school and below the Sygard Belsheim farm.
The ceremony took place almost two years after the plant entered trial operation in late autumn 2022.
The start date is something many locals are familiar with. The Rysna plant began operations on November 18, the same day as the Hugavik Tunnel on the E16 highway through Kvamskleiva opened. There was a big celebration in Vang that day.
Long Guest List
Now that everything is finished, the grassy landscape and terrain are starting to hide the traces of the pipeline construction, and the plant is running smoothly. Water has been plentiful over the last two summers, making it a fitting time for the official opening.
The guest list was long, including representatives from local politics in Vang, Vang Energy, the mayor, deputy mayor, municipal manager, as well as suppliers, contractors, and all six landowners. Family and neighbors were also invited.
They were treated well, with refreshments like gourmet sandwiches, coffee, and sponge cake.
Four Small Power Plants in Valdres
David Inge Tveito, Operations Director at Småkraft AS, welcomed everyone and gave an update.
Rysna power plant is one of 235 power plants operated by Småkraft AS. The facility in Vang is the fourth in Valdres, with the others being Reinli, Liaelva, and Hølera, all in Sør-Aurdal.
“Rysna power plant is the result of many years of hard work by skilled people and, not least, a strong collaboration with the local community,” said Tveito.
Minimal Environmental Impact
“Hydropower is a renewable natural resource, but it’s important that we protect the surrounding nature as much as possible during construction. For Småkraft, it’s essential to balance the need for clean energy with preserving biodiversity, minimizing environmental impact when building power plants. We believe we’ve done that well here at Rysna,” said Tveito.
“For us at Småkraft, it’s rewarding to create long-term value and additional income for landowners, especially if it helps sustain future agricultural operations,” added Tveito, who also praised the landowners and everyone else who contributed. One landowner, Odd Harald Rogn, was specifically recognized.
“He was very versatile and contributed a lot during the construction phase,” said Tveito.
Enough for 425 Households
The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) granted the concession on November 30, 2016. The plant has a capacity of 3.36 MW, with an annual production estimated at 8.5 GWh.
“This year, we’re doing exceptionally well,” Tveito informed the crowd.
“We’ve already produced 8.47 GWh, putting us 17% over budget and meeting the annual target. This bodes well for the future. Last year, we produced 7.8 GWh, but that was during the startup phase with a dry winter, and the plant wasn’t tested at full capacity until May 2023.”
The first kilowatt-hour was delivered on November 18, 2022, less than a year after construction began.
The generator is massive, weighing 40 tons. It’s one of the largest at Småkraft, not because of its power output, but due to its capacity and the relatively low water drop. As a result, it must rotate slowly, requiring a large mass.
“This power plant will provide clean, renewable energy for 425 households,” said Tveito.
– Just made it
Tveito also spoke about the dramatic hours on November 29, 2021, the last day before the license was set to expire. It was a race against time.
“All licenses have a five-year deadline to begin construction before one must apply for an extension after the license is granted. The decision came at 11:50 a.m. on November 29. The contractor started digging at 9:30 p.m. that same evening. The application to NVE for an extension had already been written and was ready to be sent if we didn’t get the permit. But we made the deadline,” said Tveito, who also mentioned another challenge during construction.
Bridge closure and the storm Hans
“Who would have thought that the collapse of the bridge at Tretten would impact our development? Tveit Bridge on the E16 was closed because it was the same type of bridge. This happened at the same time as the installation of the 40-ton generator. Fortunately, the lifting equipment was on the right side of the bridge, and we got a temporary detour permit with some road improvements, allowing us to get the equipment through and maintain progress,” explained David Inge Tveito.
“The heavy rainfall brought by the storm Hans also impacted us, causing some excavation in the pipeline trench, and the plant had to be stopped for a short period.”
Construction time of less than a year
Tveito also mentioned that the final inspection with NVE was in August. They were satisfied after a few minor adjustments were made.
The landowners developed the project and submitted the license application. Småkraft purchased the project after the license was granted.
The power contractor company Hywer built the plant under a total contract with subcontractors.
“They’ve done a very good job and have been easy to work with. They managed to build the power plant in just under a year. That’s impressive,” said Tveito.
Praise for landowner cooperation
Mayor Jørand Ødegård Lunde said the official opening day of the small power plant marks a milestone and another important step for new energy production in Vang.
“This is a landmark day for the climate and the future. The development is also part of local value creation, providing future income for the municipality,” said the mayor.
“The cooperation between landowners was key,” she said, highlighting that this was a major factor in the success of developing the Rysna River.
“They have every reason to be proud of that”, said mayor Jørand Ødegård Lunde.
Six landowners
Six farms and landowners hold the water rights associated with the Rysna development:
- Eli Belsheim, (Sygard Belsheim)
- Aud Irene Hamre Rogn/Odd Harald Rogn, (Granlund)
- Ola Norvald Hagen (Hagen)
- Ellen/Harald Bauer (Thune)
- Geir Ove Jevne (Jevne)
- Per Kristian Borgli/Randi Ballangrud (Jevnemarken).
Eli Belsheim, one of the landowners, has been the leader and spokesperson for the landowner group. In her speech, she reminded everyone that the road to this goal had been long and challenging, starting back in 2009 and with the first groundbreaking in 2021.
– Utilizing resources
“This must be a win-win situation for everyone, and we hope that the power development can become an additional resource for our farms in the future, benefiting agriculture as well,” said Eli Belsheim.
She also highlighted that the municipality had been positive about the initiative from the very beginning, which was crucial for the project’s realization.
“But it is also important to acknowledge that we could not have achieved this without the involvement of Småkraft. We are glad they came on board,” Eli Belsheim remarked, expressing her excitement about marking the official opening of the facility and having so many people participate in this significant event.
