ABB has been selected by Statkraft AS to modernize the Vikfalli hydropower complex in Vik municipality on Norway’s west coast. The project covers three generating plants with a combined annual production of approximately 830 GWh. The Vikfalli complex includes Målset, Refsdal, and Hove power stations, with installed capacities of 24 MW, 92 MW, and 68 MW respectively. Together, the three stations operate five generating units and form an important part of Statkraft’s Norwegian generation portfolio. The contract was booked during the second quarter of 2026. ABB and Statkraft have not disclosed the financial value of the order.

ABB Expands Its Role in Norway’s Hydropower Modernization

ABB has been selected by Statkraft AS to modernize the Vikfalli hydropower complex in Vik municipality on Norway’s west coast. The project covers three generating plants with a combined annual production of approximately 830 GWh.

The Vikfalli complex includes Målset, Refsdal, and Hove power stations, with installed capacities of 24 MW, 92 MW, and 68 MW respectively. Together, the three stations operate five generating units and form an important part of Statkraft’s Norwegian generation portfolio.

The contract was booked during the second quarter of 2026. ABB and Statkraft have not disclosed the financial value of the order.

A Complete Control and Electrical Infrastructure Upgrade

Rather than replacing a single control component, ABB will modernize several interconnected plant systems. The scope includes control, protection, excitation, monitoring, cybersecurity, and low- and medium-voltage electrical infrastructure.

A major part of the project is the installation of the ABB Ability System 800xA distributed control system and monitoring platform. The new platform will integrate with existing third-party turbine systems, creating a common operational environment for the three hydropower plants.

From an automation engineering perspective, this integration is particularly significant. Hydropower modernization often involves equipment installed across different generations, manufacturers, and control architectures. A unified supervisory environment can therefore simplify operation, diagnostics, alarm management, and long-term maintenance without requiring every existing turbine system to be replaced.

UNITROL 8000 for Five Generating Units

ABB will deploy UNITROL 8000 excitation systems across all five generating units at Vikfalli. The excitation system directly affects generator voltage control and dynamic behavior during changes in operating conditions.

Modernizing excitation equipment alongside generator protection and control systems also provides a more coordinated plant architecture. This is important because excitation, protection, turbine control, and grid interaction cannot be considered completely independent functions in a modern generating station.

The project will also introduce updated protection and monitoring capabilities, including vibration monitoring. These functions provide additional operational information and can support earlier identification of abnormal mechanical or electrical conditions.

Cybersecurity Becomes Part of the Plant Architecture

The project scope includes cybersecurity as part of the modernization rather than treating it as a separate add-on. This reflects the changing requirements for industrial control systems connected to modern supervisory and communication networks.

For hydropower operators, cybersecurity has to coexist with availability, deterministic control, remote diagnostics, and long equipment lifecycles. A practical modernization strategy therefore needs to protect control networks while maintaining clear separation between operational technology and external communication environments.

In my view, this is one of the more important aspects of the Vikfalli project. The value of a new DCS is not limited to better graphics or centralized supervision. Its greater value comes from creating a structured platform that can support secure maintenance, consistent data management, diagnostics, and future system expansion.

Preparing Vikfalli for Changing Grid Requirements

The modernization also addresses evolving grid-code requirements for generating facilities. Updated excitation and protection systems can help generators respond more effectively to changing grid conditions and maintain appropriate electrical behavior.

This becomes increasingly relevant as power systems incorporate larger quantities of variable renewable generation. Hydropower can provide operational flexibility and balancing capability, so existing plants may need modern control functions even when their turbines and generators remain mechanically serviceable.

This creates an important engineering distinction: extending the life of a hydropower plant does not necessarily mean keeping its automation infrastructure unchanged. Control and electrical systems can become outdated well before the main mechanical assets reach the end of their useful service life.

Why Modernization Is Different from Simple Replacement

The Vikfalli project demonstrates a broader modernization model for aging industrial infrastructure. Instead of replacing every subsystem, ABB will integrate new automation and electrical technologies with selected existing equipment.

This approach can reduce unnecessary replacement while providing a path toward standardized operation. However, successful integration depends heavily on interface engineering, signal mapping, communication architecture, protection coordination, commissioning, and careful management of legacy equipment.

For large hydropower facilities, these engineering details often determine whether a modernization project delivers its intended operational benefits.

Project Schedule and Implementation

Site activities at the Målset plant are scheduled to begin in 2028, while work at Refsdal and Hove is planned for 2029.

The staged implementation provides time for engineering, system integration, factory testing, site preparation, and commissioning activities. It also allows the modernization work to be coordinated with the operational requirements of an existing generation complex.

ABB stated that it worked with Statkraft from the early development stage to define and optimize the technical solution before the main contract was awarded. Early engineering involvement can be particularly useful for projects where existing turbine systems, electrical equipment, protection systems, and control platforms must operate together after modernization.

Industrial Automation Perspective

The Vikfalli modernization illustrates where hydropower automation is heading: toward integrated control platforms, modern excitation systems, condition monitoring, stronger cybersecurity, and improved coordination with grid requirements.

The most interesting point is that the project is not simply about installing a new DCS. Its broader objective is to create an automation and electrical infrastructure capable of supporting an existing hydropower asset through another operating period.

For industrial automation engineers, this is an important modernization principle. The best retrofit architecture must accommodate legacy equipment, current operational requirements, cybersecurity constraints, future grid expectations, and long-term maintenance at the same time.

As Norway continues to depend heavily on hydropower, projects such as Vikfalli show how digital control and electrical modernization can extend the practical value of existing generation assets without requiring complete replacement of the underlying power infrastructure.

العلامات

ABB Hydropower Automation Statkraft System 800xA UNITROL 8000

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