ABB selected as supplier for Hydro Energi’s power plant project in Norway
ABB has been awarded a contract for the supply of control and apparatus systems for Hydro Energi’s pumped storage power plant currently under construction in Illvatn, approximately 320 kilometers northeast of Bergen. The project is Hydro's largest hydropower investment in more than 20 years, with a total framework of $265 million. The order was booked in the fourthquarter of 2025. Financial details were not disclosed.
The development is a key part of Hydro's strategy to secure renewable power for its own aluminium production and marks a significant investment in more flexible energy production. The investment in Illvatn has a gross cost framework estimated at $127 million net after tax. The project will increase the flexibility of the Fortun system by moving water from summer to winter production.
The Fortun system is one of Norway's ten largest power plant regulation systems and utilizes water resources from a large catchment area in the mountains of Sogn. By pumping water from the reservoir in Fivlemyrane, 1,018 meters above sea level, up to Illvatn, 1,382 meters above sea level, the storage capacity is increased by 90 million cubic meters. This will result in a gross increase of 210 GWh per year and a net increase in renewable power production of 107 GWh per year.
As part of the project, Hydro is setting a new standard for sustainable infrastructure. A 13-kilometer power line will be built from Fivlemyr power station to Sveinsøystølen, with the 48 power pylons built in aluminium instead of traditional steel or composite.
The ABB delivery consists of:
Distributed Control System (ABB Ability™ System 800xA®, complete control and monitoring systems with integration to third-party systems)
Cyber security
MV switchgear
Transformers
Low voltage AC & DC-system
Instrumentation for vibration measurement
Cable and installation work
“This project shows how our hydropower expertise helps Hydro Energi optimize the design of a modern pumped storage power plant,” said Nils Endre Hatlevik, Head of Power Reliability in Norway at ABB’s Energy Industries division.
“ABB was chosen because they have the technical expertise and reliable solutions required for such a complex project as the Illvatn pumped storage power plant. For Hydro, this is a strategically important investment that will increase the flexibility of our hydropower portfolio and secure new stable, renewable power for our aluminium production for many decades to come,” said Erik Frantzen, VP Technical Support, Projects & Development in Hydro Energi. “We look forward to working closely with ABB to realize this important contribution to the energy transition.
Construction work started in November 2025, and operations at the power plant are expected to start by the second quarter of 2030.
