Knutfoss power plant

The Knutfoss power plant is located in the Elstadelva river in Grong municipality, in Nord-Trøndelag county. The river flows out into the Namsen river about 10 km north of Grong centre.

The power plant utilises a 60-metre fall into the Elstadelva river. This fall has been utilised on several occasions over the years. I 1909, a power plant was built on the same site as the other privately owned power plants in Norway. The power plant provided electricity for the village until the Nedre Fiskumfoss power plant was put into operation in 1946. Then the power plant in Knutfossen was demolished and the machines sold. Today’s power plant was licensed in 2007 and was ready for regular operation from 2010. The power plant was built privately, but later taken over by Småkraft. Learn more about the history of this project from the trade magazine Energiteknikk.

Two Francis turbines are installed to run a generator with a maximum output of 4871 kW. The waterway is 1361 metres long, and the pipes have a diameter of 2000 mm.

Technical data

Rainfall field

113.0 km²

Minimum water flow

Summer: 400 l/s

Intake elevation

91 m

Power station elevation

29,0 m

Drop height

62 m

Production

16.5 GWh
This corresponds to electricity 1031 households.