The construction period:
The construction of a total of 100 km tunnels, an underground power station and 2 large underground sandtrap caverns
took place between 1987 and 1992 in the counties of R�d�y, Mel�y, Beiarn and Rana in northern Norway. The project area
is crossed by the artic circle. Norwegian Statkraft was the client and contractor in one of Norway's largest
hydropower construction sites. The Svartisen project also marked the end of a continuous era of large hydropower
projects in Norway.
The use of 5 high performance TBM machines made this project unique and world production records were set several times in the Beiarn construction site with the ending record of 345 meter in one week. 4 of the TBMs operating from one adit with joint services.
The project drained the melting water from the massive glacier in 46 small shafts or stream intakes from the TBM tunnels and 2 conventional drill and blast tunnels. TBM diameter in these tunnels varied from 3.5 meter to 7.5 meter. Melting water from the glacier produces a huge amount of sand debris which has to be collected in large underground sand traps. The Storglomvann magazin collects the water from the eastern tunnels of Beiarn and Rana and contains a maximum of 3.5 billion m3 of water. Total annual energy production is 2.152 GWh (1.7% of Norway's total production).
The geology consisted mainly of micaschist and some massive granitic gneiss and softer marbles.
Tunnel & GeoConsult was Statkraft's on site geologist during the 4 year construction period. Field surveys
of the large alpine area, rock mechanical testing in the Power station area and mapping and decision
of permanent rock support of the tunnels and caverns were some of the main tasks.
| Technical Data | |
|---|---|
| Catchment area | 554 km2 |
| Reservoir capacity | 3.470 million m3 |
| Maximum regulated water level | 521 m.a.s. |
| Installation | 350 MW |
| Average annual production | 2.152 GWh |
| Investment | 3.750 mill NOK | Construction data |
| Access tunnels | 12.850 meter |
| Water tunnels | 79.300 meter |
| Station cavern | 60.000 m3 |
| Sand trap caverns | 70.000 m3 |
| Total dam volume. Storglomvatn and Holmvatn dams | 6.45 million m3 rock |
. . . . . . . . .
Deep in the mountains of Beiarn,
sacred to the native Sami people, our geologists found this artistic creation in marble, limestone and quartzite
formed by wind and weather. She was imediately named the marble princess of Trollberget, watching suspiciously over
Statkraft's activity in the valley below.
Map of Mel�y and Svartisen
Senior
Engineering Geologist
phone: +47-918 41041