Energy

A growing awareness of the environment and the importance of conserving nature has led to a greater focus on adapting new high-voltage towers to landscapes and surroundings. EFLA has therefore worked closely with industrial designers for many years to meet this challenge in a cost-effective manner with a combination of practical design and innovative solutions.

Emergency Restoration Planning for an 1100 km HVDC line

The objective of the project was to develop an emergency restoration plan for the 1100 km HVDC line considering the impacts on personnel, equipment and spares, potential failure mechanisms, response times, safety and operational risks. The project culminated in several documents being created detailing practical solutions on the way forward to help the utility prepare and effectively respond to an outage or failure of the line.  

At the famous tourist destination Kjerag in Rogaland, there is a unique design towers that consists of 3 poles. Statnett is the principal, EFLA was responsible for engineering and Widenoja Design, Eva Widenoja created the design concept.

Icing on power lines can cause major problems for the transmission network during power line failures. The project's goal is to predict, reduce and effectively remove ice loads on the power lines in Norway.

EFLA was one of 10 partners in the research project, ICEBOX, and will lead two work packages. 

Statnett is building a 300 km 420 kV overhead transmission line (OHTS) from Balsfjord to Skaidi in Troms county. EFLA worked with Statnett from the preparation stage, by assisting with the choice of the line route and making geotechnical estimates for foundation design. Designing the towers and foundations, to assisting with project and site management.

EFLA was responsible for the mechanical and electromechanical design of new 420 kV powerline. The project involved preparation of tender documents, assistance in purchasing and technical support during the construction phase. The project was in the west of Norway close to the town of Bergen.

Landsnet commissioned EFLA to map a prospective and survey an existing power line. The aerial data collected with the drone helped Landsnet to access reliable and accurate data for the planning, design and construction of the power line. Lidar data has been used for line digitization and ground clearance issues.

Statnett is working to reinforce and expand the main grid in the South West of Norway. EFLA is responsible for the design of the all foundations, towers and hardware.

E.ON Elnät Sverige built two 130 kV lines to connect a wind farm in Stamåsen to the local grid. The lines consist of wood poles except where they cross the river Faxälven.

EFLA was responsible for tower spotting, all necessary field work, preparation of all drawings, lists and material specification.

Vattenfall Eldistribution AB, is building a 43 km 150 kV OHTL from Brattmyrliden to Moliden. The line consist mainly of wood poles with few composite poles where poles are located in swamp/farmland. The line will be built parallel to an existing 400 kV line.

Each year, Iceland's transmission system operator's Landsnet publishes Kerfisáætlun (System Plan). The plan includes studies of the transmission system, and a project plan for the next years, plus some future scenarios of the evolution of the transmission system.

EFLA has been a major consultant in this project each year, and has made many of the system studies that the System Plan is based on. 

The project consisted of the preparation and design of a 132-kV underground cable between Fitjar and Helguvík in the Reykjanes peninsula to connect a new substation providing power to a silicon production plant (United Silicon). 

The substation is a Static Var Compensator (SVC) installation, meant to regulate voltage fluctuation and increase the power quality of the 220 kV transmission system at the site. This is done with reactors and capacitors controlled with power electronics (thyristors) operating in the range of -100/150 MVAr. The SVC installation is the first part of a 400/220 kV substation scheduled to be built in the future. 

Every three years, Landsnet, Iceland's national electricity transmission system operator, publishes a report on the availability in each delivery point in the system.

Statnett in Norway hosted a design competition for a new 420 kV transmission line tower type that would blend well into a densely populated urban district in Olso. 

EFLA submitted three proposals for new high-voltage power pylons and won the top two places, the STRAW and the SENTINEL.

Statnett has been performing voltage upgrade on the existing 300 kV overhead transmission lines (OHTL) with duplex line configuration. In addition to the voltage upgrade, the OHTL's thermal capacity was upgraded. 

EFLA has worked with Statnett since 2009 on all phases of these projects, first with the preparation and planning, including development of work methods, processes and program tools. Later, with design, support during construction and as-built documentation.

EFLA created strategies for wind energy utilization to implement in municipal plans already under revision or for municipalities interested in reviewing their policies and strategies in relation to energy utilization.

EFLA did a preliminary design/project design and a feasibility study for a wind farm in several potential areas near Hafið, a lava plain above Búrfell mountain in South Iceland.

In addition, EFLA did studies and research for the project and assisted with the environmental impact assessment. EFLA also provided data and assisted with preparation for the Master Plan for Nature Protection and Energy Utilization.

EFLA programmes, tests and commissions Þeistareykir geothermal power plant's control system as well as designing the power houses wireless telecommunication systems.

Statnett, Norway's electrical transmission company, is building a 160 km 420 kV OHTL from Ofoten to Balsfjord in Troms county.

The line crosses seven counties and has the objective to improve the security of supply in northern Norway, promote industrial growth and increase value creation. In an addition to be a premise for future production of renewable energy in the area. 

EFLA prepared a report, where information is gathered on the development of total gain of electricity supply to an electrically heated home that uses 30,000 kWh / year and 85% of the energy goes to heating. 

Furthermore information on taxes and subsidies are compiled. The development of cost is shown since the Electricity Act came into force in 2005 and until 2017. 

EFLA Consulting Engineers was retained by Norðurál Helguvík ehf. and Reykjavík Energy to pre-design a 90 MWe Geothermal Power plant at Hverahlíð in the south of Iceland. Three geothermal wells where drilled and confirmed steam to support 45MWe. 

The deliverable was a feasibility report and a detailed project plan for the development of few power plant configurations showing Capex, investment, Opex and reinvestment for reflecting the electrical price needed for the Geothermal Power Plant. 

EFLA Consulting Engineers handled supervision for the construction of the powerhouse for a 2 x 45 MWe geothermal power plant at Þeistareykir, Iceland, including all interior and exterior finishes. EFLA also supervised the laying of pipes for steam supply systems. 

The project constituted project planning, tender and detail design of the Búðarháls HPP Civil Works in addition to diverse consultancy related to the project over its existence. 

Noise map and sound propagation from drilling sites.

The objective was to prepare a noise map and estimate the sound propagation from drilling sites. 

A life cycle assessment (LCA) was carried out on electricity transmission via overhead lines (OHL) and underground cables (UGC) in the Icelandic transmission system. 

The project aim was to assess the total environmental impacts of the country‘s electricity transmission system from a life cycle perspective.

EFLA performed a life cycle assessment of electricity generation in two research wind turbines (2 x 900 kW), situated at Hafið by Búrfell in Iceland. 

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is used to assess the environmental impact of a product, process or service from cradle to grave. The standardized method can be used to compare environmental impacts of similar products and services.

The Energy Forecast Committee is a cooperation of several major companies, institutions and organizations in Iceland's energy industry, as well as Statistics Iceland and the National Registry. 

The electricity group of the forecast committee works on electricity forecasts that are issued every five years and recalculated annually based on new data on energy use and societal development.

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was performed for hydroelectric generation from three different hydropower plants in Iceland operated by Landsvirkjun. 

The assessment was carried out in compliance with international standards ISO 14040 and ISO 14044, identifying different phases or components of the life cycle carrying the heaviest environmental burdens.