Such information enables grid companies to manage operational risks, thereby allowing increased connection of new power generation and consumption. The methods will be tested on a real case in the Northern Norwegian municipality of Berlevåg, Finnmark.
For years, industrial actors in Northern Norway have identified a lack of grid capacity as the largest bottleneck for the development of businesses and local communities. The government's energy and industry plan for Finnmark in August 2023 brought renewed attention to the issue, but it will still be many years before the transmission system operator Statnett completes the grid expansion with 420 kV power lines all the way to Eastern Finnmark.
The NordKap project aims to help reduce a fundamental barrier to industrial development—namely, the lack of grid capacity. This is particularly important given the growing interest in utilizing renewable energy resources in the region, both through increased power generation and greater use of renewable energy for local industries and businesses.
The project will lead to the application of new knowledge and technology in grid operation by developing and testing sensors and decision-support methodologies. These methods combine information from multiple sources, enabling grid companies to predict the actual grid capacity more easily at any given time. This allows for a higher utilization rate of the grid without exposing the grid operator to unacceptable risks.
