Mobile outdoor power supply in Bergen Norway

Hydropower accounts for most of the Norwegian power supply, and the resource base for production depends on the precipitation in a given year. This is a significant difference compared to the rest of Europe where security of supply is mainly secured through thermal power plants, with fuels available in the energy markets.

The power market in Norway was deregulated in 1991, when few countries had market-based power systems. The market is now a fundamental element of the Norwegian power supply. Electricity prices provide long-term investment signals and play an important part in short-term balancing of supply, demand and transmission.

Many power plants in Norway have storage reservoirs and production can therefore be adjusted within the constraints set by the licence and the watercourse itself. Wind and solar power are intermittent; electricity can only be generated when the energy is available.

The Norwegian power system is closely integrated with the other Nordic systems, both in physical terms and through market integration. In turn, the Nordic market is integrated with the rest of Europe through cross-border interconnectors to the Netherlands, Germany, the Baltic states and Poland.

There are 30 thermal power plants in Norway, with a total installed capacity of about 642 MW. The power balance expresses the relationship between production and consumption and indicates whether the Norwegian power system is a net exporter or importer in a particular year.

It's a change that requires new solutions to charge and power these machines, but in beginning to deploy these solutions, we're seeing their value emerge and new opportunities.” Norwegian energy company BKK is an early customer of the Voltpack Mobile System – Northvolt's first scalable, redeployable battery energy storage system.