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Energy security from hydropower: The Rjukan system

Abstract

We present a case study on energy security effects from a planned pumped storage hydropower (PSH) expansion project in the Rjukan system in Tinn, Norway. The largest reservoir in the watercourse holds more than 1000 million cubic meters of water and has major importance for the security of supply in the area. Using the optimization model Prodrisk for stochastic long-term hydropower scheduling, we compute the operation strategy and projected reservoir usage under different inflow assumptions with and without PSH expansion in the system. We quantify the provision of energy security in terms of the chance to break an operational constraint on minimum storage at the beginning of the winter season and the volume of violations. Furthermore, we study the flexibility factor under resource scarcity.

Category

Academic chapter

Language

English

Author(s)

  • Hanne Kårtvedt
  • Leonardo Rydin Gorjão
  • Stefan Rex

Affiliation

  • SINTEF Energy Research / Renewable Energy
  • Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen
  • Norwegian University of Life Sciences

Year

2026

Publisher

IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)

Book

2026 22nd International Conference on the European Energy Market - EEM

ISBN

9798319535542

View this publication at Norwegian Research Information Repository