"We are now seeing the results of our considerable investment in new environment-friendly generating capacity," says Statkraft CEO Bård Mikkelsen. "Smøla wind farm is Europe's largest land-based wind power facility. It is almost three times larger than Hitra wind farm, which was Norway's largest when it went into production in 2004. We have now started construction of Kjøllefjord wind farm in Finnmark. With these three facilities we are almost half-way to reaching our goal of constructing 2 TWh of profitable wind power generating capacity by 2010." The three wind farms will have a combined investment cost of just over NOK 2.1 billion.
No. 1 for wind power
With a total generating capacity of 150 MW, the Smøla wind farm's 68 turbines account for more than half of the installed wind power capacity in Norway. The Smøla district has been an enthusiastic champion of the wind farm's construction, and the Møre & Romsdal County Council has also backed the project. Following the completion of phase 1 of the wind farm, public opinion in Smøla has been very positive. 80 per cent of the population support the wind farm, which will employ 2-3 people locally during normal operations.
"Smøla has become Norway's no.1 wind power district. The project is a good example of how new generating capacity can be built in a way that minimises its impact on the environment - and in harmony with local interests," says Mr Mikkelsen.
Standing tall
The wind turbines stand 70 m tall and weigh in at more than 260 tonnes; their rotors are 83 m in diameter. Each turbine in phase 2 has an installed capacity of 2.3 MW, compared with 2 MW for those in phase 1. The 20 turbines that make up phase 1 of the Smøla wind farm were opened by Norway's King Harald in September 2002.
The Smøla wind farm has cost a total of NOK 1.3 billion. Statkraft has contracted to sell the green certificates linked to the generation of environment-friendly power at the plant to the Dutch company Nuon. In addition the project received NOK 138 million in investment support from ENOVA, the government agency set up to promote environment-friendly energy in Norway.
Statkraft aims to be a European leader in environment-friendly energy. Based on more than 100 years of knowledge and investments, the Statkraft Group is well equipped for further growth and development - and has a clearly stated desire to create lasting value. Statkraft stands for sustainable development in both an environmental and a financial sense. The group produces a total of 41 TWh per year, making it the third-largest producer of electricity in the Nordic region and the second-largest producer of renewable energy in Europe. The group has approximately 2,000 employees including the subsidiaries Skagerak Energi and Trondheim Energiverk. Statkraft also has shareholdings in the Norwegian power companies BKK, Agder Energi and Fjordkraft, as well as in E.ON Sweden.
For further information:
EVP Ragnvald Nærø, tel.: +47 2406 7100/ +47 9008 0303
EVP Ingelise Arntsen, tel.: +47 2406 7225 / +47 9131 7578
Shortly after the ceremony, images will be available from www.statkraft.com