"This decision means that Norway is seriously becoming a windpower nation. The wind park at Hitra is a result of a major commitment by Statkraft to start using renewable, environmentally friendly energy solutions," says Group CEO Bård Mikkelsen.
Electricity for 7,500 households
Hitra Wind Park will be located on the Eldsfjell Mountain and consist of around 25 windmills, depending on the size chosen for the windmills. The power generated, approximately 150 GWh with an output of 56 MW, is equivalent to the electricity consumption of 7,500 households. Each windmill tower will be approximately 70 metres high and have a rotor diameter of some 80 metres. The windpower station will employ a staff of 3-4 at Hitra during the operational phase and, given the current tax regulations, will give the municipality almost NOK 2 million in annual property tax revenues.
First Smøla, then Hitra, then...
Hitra Wind Park is the company's second large wind-park development. The first was Smøla Wind Park, whose first construction phase (40 MW) was opened by His Majesty King Harald of Norway last autumn. Statkraft also has plans to implement phase II of Smøla this year (110 MW). The company has also applied for a licence for a wind park in Lebesby municipality in the county of Finnmark and is currently preparing several other applications.
These wind parks will considerably help to realise the authorities' ambition to produce 3 TWh of windpower by 2010. Provided everything goes according to plan, Statkraft's wind parks will generate a total of 2 TWh by 2010, equivalent to the electricity needs of around 100,000 households.
Construction work on the Hitra Wind Park will start as soon as possible after agreements with the contractor have been entered into. If everything goes according to plan, the wind park can start generating electricity in the autumn of 2004. The development costs are around NOK 470 million.
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Statkraft is Norway's largest producer of electricity. The company's own production capacity comprises an average of just over 42 TWh annually - or around 1/3 of the hydropower generated in Norway. The Statkraft Group has approximately 2,400 employees, including those in Skagerak Energi, Trondheim Energiverk and Statkraft Grøner,. Statkraft is Norway's biggest land-based taxpayer. Statkraft has ownership shares in BKK, Agder Energi and Fjordkraft, all Norwegian power companies. In size, the Statkraft Alliance is the third largest in the Nordic production market and the second largest in the Norwegian consumer market.
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