NCC has announced it has been commissioned by Statkraft to help improve dam safety at the Hammarforsen hydropower plant, including remodelling a spillway to increase discharge capacity.

Hammarforsen hydropower plant on the Indalsälven river in Jämtland was built in 1928 and is now undergoing a major refurbishment to address the risk of an increase in extreme water flows. Under its contract, NCC will construct the cofferdam, conduct demolition work, replace the existing segment gates in the spillway and replace two small floodgates. The project includes casting and concreting work for the power plant as well as instrumentation and raising of the diaphragm wall at Hammarnäset.

For the concreting work, NCC will use eco-friendly concrete that reduces the carbon footprint and has a shorter curing process. This will also improve the work environment since less work will be required to cool the concrete or it will be possible to eliminate this stage entirely. NCC has previous experience of working with eco-friendly concrete and complex casting works, for example, in connection with the construction of the Rengård hydropower plant in Skellefteå.

“NCC and Statkraft know each other well from previous joint projects and an ongoing framework agreement, which have enabled us to develop trust and a shared vision,” commented Richard Mattsson, Production Manager, NCC Infrastructure. “Drawing from NCC’s experience of similar hydropower plant projects, we have been able to offer Statkraft a production-friendly and cost-effective solution for the Hammarforsen hydropower plant.”

“This project is part of an extensive restoration of the Hammarforsen plant. To remain a reliable producer of renewable energy, we must ensure that we always have a well-functioning facility at our disposal and upgrade our power plants to meet the increase in demand for electricity supply we are faced with. We can do this most efficiently in partnership with our contractors and we look forward to working with NCC on this refurbishment project,” added Jakob Norström, CEO of Statkraft Sweden.

The project consists of a construction contract in partnering form with an order value of approximately SEK 160 million. The transaction will be registered among orders in the NCC Infrastructure business area during the first quarter of 2023. The project is scheduled for completion in spring 2025.

Image: The existing segment gate which is to be replaced with two small floodgates. By Oskar Gunnebrink