ZURICH, Switzerland, Aug 19, 2026 – ABB will modernize the control, protection, excitation, and electrical systems at Statkraft‘s Vikfalli hydropower complex in Norway, a contract the supplier booked in Q2 – 2026. The Vikfalli project, 170 km northeast of Bergen on Norway’s west coast, and includes three power stations with five generating units: Målset (24 MW), Refsdal (92 MW), and Hove (68 MW). The plants produce 830 GWh a year, electricity for about 53,000 Norwegian homes.
ABB’s project scope includes installation of the ABB Ability System 800xA distributed control system and monitoring platform, which will be integrated with existing third-party turbine systems to provide an operational environment across the complex.
The contract also covers UNITROL 8000 excitation systems for all five generating units, cyber security, low- and medium-voltage electrical systems, vibration monitoring and protection, digital solutions, and cable supply and installation.
The project extends the life of equipment central to Norway’s low-carbon power supply. Hydropower generated almost 90% of the country’s electricity in June 2026. The new excitation and protection systems support compliance with grid codes for generators and add stability and resilience as the power system absorbs larger volumes of variable renewable energy.
“The upgrade of Vikfalli is an important step in strengthening Norway’s renewable energy infrastructure and we worked closely with ABB from the earliest stage to ensure the solution was optimized,” said Inge Hass, power plant manager of group Sogn, Statkraft.
“Hydropower is an important part of an expanding energy system, helping to grow renewable capacity and deliver stable baseload power to the grid,” said Per Erik Holsten, president of ABB’s energy industries division. “The priority now is ensuring that existing assets such as Vikfalli are equipped to fulfill that role for future needs with modern control and digital solutions that enable them to run more safely, cleaner and leaner, and to be ready for tomorrow’s grid requirements.”
ABB worked with Statkraft from the development phase to define the technical solution before the main contract was placed. Site activities at Målset are scheduled to begin in 2028, with Refsdal and Hove to follow in 2029.
Source: ABB
About ABB
ABB is a global technology company specializing in electrification and automation, with headquarters in Zürich, Switzerland, and Västerås, Sweden. Formed in 1988 through the merger of ASEA and Brown, Boveri & Cie, ABB operates in more than 100 countries and serves sectors such as utilities, transportation, infrastructure, and manufacturing. Its portfolio includes robotics, industrial automation systems, electrification products, and motion solutions. The company draws on engineering and digitalization expertise to help industries improve performance and operate efficiently. ABB has a history of more than 140 years and employs about 110,000 people worldwide.
About Statkraft
Statkraft is a Norwegian energy company that develops, owns and operates power generation assets. Founded in 1895, the company is headquartered in Oslo, Norway. Its operations include hydropower, wind and solar power, gas generation, biomass and district heating. Statkraft also trades electricity and provides energy market and risk management services. The company develops battery storage and grid services for electricity systems. Customers include industrial companies, utilities, energy suppliers, municipalities and commercial electricity users. Statkraft operates energy assets across Europe, South America and Asia. It also supplies electricity through power purchase agreements with industrial and corporate customers. Statkraft employed about 6,500 people worldwide.
