The Tveitaskar power plant is located in Hålandsdalen in Fusa municipality. It is an especially grand and solidly built facility that produces environmentally friendly, renewable energy.
With the Tveitaskar power plant in operation, the farms in the Tveita area can continue their tradition of creating alternative sources of income in addition to agriculture. A broader income base is important for strengthening the foundation for maintaining settlements in the village.
Long ago, Tveita consisted of a farm, which was eventually divided into two, and later three farms. The farms at Tveita have traditionally made their living from livestock over several generations, and this is still the case at Bjarte Skjelvan’s farm. In the post-war period, a transport company was established, which was in operation for several decades. Earlier, Tveita had its own slate quarry. Slate from Tveita is distinctively white, which has left its mark on the houses in the area. The river has also supplied energy to a local mill house at Tveita, which has benefited all the farms in the area.
Access to the rest of the world has not always been simple for the people of Tveita. Traditional animal husbandry and goods such as butter and cheese were either transported over the mountain to Strandebarm, or by rowing boat across Skogseidvannet lake and down to Sævereid. After the road came, the valley was given a more natural connection to Fusa. Earlier, Tveita was part of Hålandsdalen municipality, which in 1964 became part of Fusa municipality.
There are several rivers that flow down to Tveita. The Tveitaskaret power plant utilises the waterfall in one of them – Skarelva. These rivers are a part of everyday life at the farms in Tveita, which have been exposed to flooding on several occasions. And the end of the 1970s, and in 2007, a great deal of work was needed to limit the scope of these damaging floods. This work was performed under the auspices of NVE. A road has now been laid in into the valley in connection with the establishment of the power plant. This has provided easier access to the countryside and the mountains.
Joint efforts by the landowners and Småkraft has resulted in a new era for Tveita. Good planning and collaboration have produced a power plant that has instilled more optimism and hopes for the future.
The power plant underwent a trial operation in the autumn of 2009, and it was officially opened on 31 August 2010 by Solveig Tveita Skjelvan, a member of the oldest generation at the Tveita farm.
The Tveiaskaret power plant is part of the Sævereidvassdraget and has a catchment area of 5.4 km2. The intake is at an elevation of 400, and the station is placed at a elevation of 90, which gives a fall height of 310 metres. The route is about 1750 metres. The power plant has an installed effect of 4.2 MW with a total water discharge of 1.55 cubics/s. The requirement for minimum water flow is 50 l/s. A Pelton turbine has been installed, and the operating waterway runs through a 700 mm cast iron penstock buried in a trench. The power station was built in accordance with Småkraft’s aesthetic guidelines, and has been adapted to its surroundings. The power plant has an expected average annual production of10 GWh. This corresponds to electricity for an annual consumption of approx. 500 households.