Berlin 2012 – scientific programme

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AKE: Arbeitskreis Energie

AKE 2: Renewable Energy: Hydro Power, Osmosis

AKE 2.1: Invited Talk

Monday, March 26, 2012, 10:00–10:30, A 151

Hydro Electricity and Storage Capabilities in Norway, can they be useful for Europe? — •Wilhelm Gerard Jacob Rondeel — Telemark University College, Norway

The electricity supply of Norway is nearly 100% based on hydro power. More than half the production capacity is from storage reservoirs, primarily established for coping with annual fluctuation in inflow to the reservoirs and variation in power demand. Existing connections with thermally based power systems in neighbouring countries are basically built for hourly power exchange (day and night), and for handling the power balance in dry or wet years, with energy shortage or surplus respectively. In a normal year the Norwegian system is approximately in balance. The paper describes the present power system, including possibilities and limitations for further expansion. Within the economic, political and technical framework of the present regime, the conditions for a substantial exploitation of Norways hydro power resources as a storage system to deal with the large fluctuations in production from intermittent wind and/or solar energy is presented. Partly based on economical factors, one of the main conclusions may be that an expansion of the exchange capacity between Norway and the Continent most probably will compete with the installation of more gas fired power in Northern Europe.