Rengårds power station.
Skellefteå Kraft has officially opened the Rengård power station on the Skellefteå River, following a significant modernisation and expansion project costing over 900 million kronor. This investment marks the largest in hydroelectric power in Sweden in modern times.
The power station's output has doubled from 35 to 71 MW, making it Skellefteå Kraft's largest hydroelectric power station on the Skellefteå River. This upgrade fully unlocks the river's potential, contributing to a more robust energy system for Sweden.
– This is an incredibly important step towards creating a more robust energy system in Sweden, says Västerbotten county governor, Helene Hellmark Knutsson.
– It's the right way to invest in increasing the output in a river where the environment is already impacted by hydropower, says the county governor.
She also shares her personal connection to hydropower. Her maternal grandfather helped build out hydropower in Ljungan.
– In one of the affected villages in Jämtland, he met my grandmother, and they became a couple. So, if the hydropower there hadn't been built out, I wouldn't exist, she laughs.
What has been done is both the renovation of the original facility from 1970 and its expansion with a new turbine. This has led to a doubling of the power station's output, from 35 to 71 MW.
– We are immensely proud to be at the forefront of hydropower development in Sweden, says Joachim Nordin, Skellefteå Kraft CEO.
Rengård has long been a bottleneck in the Skellefteå River. By investing in new technology and increased capacity, Skellefteå Kraft has now unlocked the river's full potential. The project has been ongoing since 2020 and represents one of the largest hydropower upgrades in modern Swedish history. The facility is now Skellefteå Kraft's largest hydropower plant in the Skellefteå River.
The greatest benefit of the planned power increase in Rengård is that it makes hydropower more flexible, thereby enhancing the ability to stabilise the electricity system. The change allows a larger volume of water to pass through the station's units but does not imply any difference in water levels. Previously, the water flow was 235 cubic meters per second, which can now be increased to 390 cubic meters.
The first part, involving the renovation of the existing unit, was completed in 2022. It had been replaced with a more efficient turbine and generator.
– And now, at the turn of the year, we could start production with the new turbine, says Susanne Öhrvall, Business Unit Manager Hydropower at Skellefteå Kraft.
Joachim Nordin states that Sweden has enormous potential in its rivers.
– We don't have oil, but we have rivers and renewable resources in abundance, he says.
With Rengård, Skellefteå Kraft is utilising what they already have, strengthening the energy system without building new from scratch.
– We see it as our responsibility not just to manage our resources, but to develop them, emphasises Joachim.
Susanne Öhrvall notes that a large amount of courage was required to carry out this project.
– And today, history meets the future, she says.
Skellefteå Kraft hopes that the project can inspire more investments in capacity expansion of existing hydropower plants. It is also the first step in a series of investments in Skellefteå Kraft's own stations on the Skellefteå River.
– We could increase their output by 10 percent, which means an additional 300 MW, explains Susanne.
What's next after Rengård includes increasing the capacity in the power stations at Selsfors and Finnfors, among others.