Construction on the Tyin power station started in 1910. During the Second World War, the German company Nordag took over the stations. In this period, up to 50,000 men worked on the plants, shortening the construction time, and the plants were finished in 1944.
In 1947, the newly established company Årdal Verk took over the Tyin power station. Electricity from Tyin was used to establish and power a new aluminium plant at Årdal.
A completely new Tyin power station with higher installed capacity and production than the old one was opened in 2004.
There are plans to re-use the old plant by moving the water intake further down-stream to Holsbruvann in the Tya river.
The power stations at Fortun were build because the Årdal aluminium plant needed more electricity than Tyin could provide.
The first power station, Skagen, began operating in 1959, and the Herva and Fivlemyrpower stations were added later.
The Tyin and Fortun power systems are wholly owned by Hydro. The power stations in Sogn are central to Hydro’s long-term commitment to aluminium production in Årdal.
Plants and the environment
The catchment areas for the power stations at Tyin and Fortun are 387 and 374 square kilometers, respectively.
The cathment areas are located partially in the Utla valley conservation area and border the Jostedalen and Jotunheimen national parks.
Hydro works closely with national park authorities on environmental matters, and in recent years Hydro has carried out considerable clean-up activities around the plants.
The reservoir capacity for Tyin and Fortun are 369 and 292 million cubic meters, respectively.
Power stations
The power system in Sogn consists of four power stations with a capacity and production as shown below.
Tyin
Hydro's share: 100%
Installed capacity: 374 MW
Average production: 1,458 GWh/year
Skagen
Hydro's share: 100%
Installed capacity: 270 MW
Average production: 1.438 GWh/year
Fivlemyr
Hydro's share: 100%
Installed capacity: 2 MW
Average production: 9 GWh/year
Herva
Hydro's share: 100%
Installed capacity: 36 MW
Average production: 118 GWh/year
* Purchased production from owned water resource.
Electricity production at Herva is 142 GWh per year, 24 GWh of which is used for pumping water, making net production 118 GWh per year.
