Norway: Compact Hydro Tunnelling offers Renewable Energy Solutions

摘要

Norway's mountainous topography of rivers, streams, and waterfalls is a haven for hydropower, and new initiatives are reinventing the renewable energy on a small scale. Such projects could have applications in many countries worldwide. Small hydropower projects, defined as having an installed capacity of between 1 and 10 MW, now make up more than 10 percent of Norway's total power production. At least 1300 small hydropower plants are in operation, producing a combined 11 TWh annually. The use of small diameter Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) is furthering the applicability of small diameter tunnels (below 3 m) as well. Compared with drill & blast, TBMs offer increased production rates and reduction in cross section, among other benefits. The uniquely designed machines are engineered to take on steep gradients, up to a 45-degree angle in some cases.