Fivelandselva is located in Sauda municipality, Rogaland. Fivelandselva has its outlet from Stemvatnet 600 meters above sea level. (Longavatnet, Botnatjødna and Botnavatnet run into Stemvatnet.)
The river has been very important for the Fiveland farm, and from early on the waterfall has been used for grinding stones and for the mill house (Augnedalen), registered in the early 1800-1810.
Sawmill down by the homestead “Saglien”, registered around 1820, this sawmill supplied, among other things, materials for the construction of ships in Shetland. There was also a “stamp mill” in connection with the river.
2011: April. Landowners began collaborating on a possible power station in the Five river. Their partner was Haugaland Kraft
2014: 19. Dec. A licence was granted by NVE
2016: 1. Jan. Haugaland Kraft and Sunnhordaland kraft merged.
2017: 22. May. The project was “rejected”
2017: 24. May. Contacted landowners contacted Småkraft via Halvard Tesdal and began talks/negotiations.
2019: 12. Aug. Construction begins by road construction with local contractor Brødrene Selvik, excavation of power station and start-up of penstock route in Dec. 2019
2020: 30. June. First casting of the base of the dam.
2020: 9-11. Dec. Trial run, connection to the grid.
After 16 months of collaboration between landowners, Småkraft, local contractor and technical personnel (Energi Teknikk), Fivelandselva power plant is permanently put into operation in February 2021 for the benefit of the environment and local value creation.
The implementation has gone according to plan and today stands as an exceptionally admirable project. In total, about 21,000 kg of explosives were used, and about 30,000
metres were drilled. The landowners are pleased with how the local contractor (Brødrene Selvik) and Småkraft have solved challenges along the way and protected the landowners’ interests throughout the process.
Fivelandelva power plant has an inflow from a catchment area of 6.6 km2. Minimum water flow in winter is 35 l/s, while in summer it is 85 l/s.
Intake at elevation 368 and power station at elevation 122 gives a head of 246 metres. Production is estimated at 8.5 GWh in a normal year. The Pelton turbine has 5 nozzles with a maximum capacity of 1,500 l/s and drives a generator of 3,340 kVA, 6,600 V. The voltage is transformed up to 11 kV before the power is delivered to the grid. Installed capacity 3.1 MW. With an annual consumption of 16,000 kWh, the power plant has the capacity to supply approximately 530 households. The intake consists of a gravity dam with its own concrete intake structure.
The waterway consists of GRP pipes and ductile cast iron pipes that are buried and extend 1,407 metres from intake to turbine. The power station building is built in the well-known Småkraft style.
