Valken power plant

Valken power plant in Saltdal municipality was put into operation in December 2015. The power plant utilises a fall height of 210 metres into the Saksenvikelva river, with an installed effect of 9.9 MW. The power plant will have an annual mean production of about 29 GWh, which corresponds with an electricity consumption for about 1500 households.

The dam and intake are constructed of cast-in-place concrete with HRV at elevation 330.5. From the intake, the water is led into a 1760-metre-long tunnel down towards the power station. The last part of the waterway consists of ductile cast iron pipes with a diameter of 1.6 metres dug into the tunnel between the concrete plug and the power station.

The minimum water flow past the intake is 500 l/s from 1 May through 30 September, and 70 l/s from 1 October through 30 April. If the inflow is lower than the requirement for minimum water flow, the entire inflow will be released.

A Pelton generator was installed with a flow rate of 1.3 m³/s, and a Francis generator with a flow rate of 4.0 m³/s, which have a total capacity of 9.9 MW. The power station consists of a machine room, control room, high-voltage room and an external transformer.

Technical data

Rainfall field

59.2 km²

Minimum water flow

Summer: 500 l/s

Intake elevation

330 m

Power station elevation

210,0 m

Drop height

120 m

Production

29.0 GWh
This corresponds to electricity 1813 households.