ABB has been chosen by Statkraft AS to upgrade the Vikfalli hydropower complex in Vik municipality, 170km northeast of Bergen on Norway’s west coast
The group of three plants generates 830GWh a year, enough electricity for 53,000 Norwegian homes. The order was booked in the second quarter of 2026.
The contract covers the complete modernisation of the control, protection, excitation, and electrical infrastructure, extending the life of assets critical to Norway’s delivery of reliable, low-carbon electricity, with hydropower responsible for almost 90% of electricity produced in June 2026.
The Vikfalli project covers three power stations, Målset (24MW), Refsdal (92MW) and Hove (68MW), with five generating units. ABB’s project scope includes installing the ABB Ability System 800xA distributed control system and monitoring platform, integrated with existing third-party turbine systems to provide a unified operational environment across the complex.
The contract comprises complete modernisation and will deploy UNITROL 8000 excitation systems for all five generating units, advanced cyber-security, low- and medium-voltage electrical systems, vibration monitoring and protection, digital solutions, cable supply and installation. Integrating modern excitation and protection systems supports compliance with evolving grid codes for generators and contributes to the stability and resilience required in a power system that accommodates growing volumes of variable renewable energy.
Inge Hass, power plant manager of group Sogn, Statkraft, said, “The upgrade of Vikfalli is an important step in strengthening Norway’s renewable energy infrastructure, and we worked closely with ABB from the earliest stage to ensure the solution was optimised.”
Hydropower is the world’s third-largest source of electricity, representing 14% of global electricity generated in 2024. New capacity is expected to grow by the end of the decade, with over 154GW forecast to come online. The sector is particularly strong in Norway, which generates 90% of its electricity from hydropower for domestic supply and as a balancing resource for interconnected European markets.
Per Erik Holsten, president of ABB’s Energy Industries division, said, “Hydropower is an important part of an expanding energy system, helping to grow renewable capacity and deliver stable baseload power to the grid. The priority now is ensuring that existing assets such as Vikfalli are equipped to fulfil that role for future needs with modern control and digital solutions that enable them to run more safely, cleaner and leaner, and to be ready for tomorrow’s grid requirements.”
The order was secured after ABB worked alongside Statkraft from the early development phase to define and optimise the technical solution before the main contract was placed. This approach reflects a shift in how major owners of critical energy infrastructure are procuring long-life upgrades, bringing technology partners in earlier to reduce risk and improve outcomes. Site activities at Målset are scheduled to commence in 2028, with Refsdal and Hove to follow in 2029.
