The 4,5 MW Befring hydropower plant was commissioned in 2003 and is located in the municipality of Sunnfjord in Stardalen valley. In fact, the plant is located close and in the same waterway as Suomen Voima’s Stardalen hydropower plant, which is projected to be commissioned in spring this year.

Befring power plant operates with two equal Pelton turbines inside one power station building. It is a run-of-river plant with an average annual power production of 22,5 GWh. Currently, the power plant has been operating by utilizing only a small portion of the river’s water flow. Once the power grid to Stardalen is upgraded, the possibility of upgrading the Befring plant will be reviewed.

Befring is located in Sunnfjord municipality.

The plant has been under the ownership of 11 landowners since its commissioning. They are satisfied with the sale agreement of the plant, which was brokered by Krafthuset AS. “We have proven that we managed the plant on our own, both in terms of development and operation. But it has also been a demanding and challenging process with both ups and downs. When we now sell, we are happy that the plant will get solid and experienced new owners with the right focus”, says Kjell Lyngstad, chairman of the board of Befring Kraft.

Bekk og Strøm, which specializes in operating small hydropower power plants, will operate the plant on behalf of Suomen Voima. Bekk og Strøm already operates several small power plants in Norway, including all Suomen Voima’s power plants. “We already operate small power plants from Troms in the north to Kristiansand in the south and Befring fits perfectly into our operating portfolio”, says Carl-Fredrik Lehland, CEO of Bekk og Strøm.

“Befring Kraft fits well into our portfolio. During the spring of 2021, we will also take over Stardalen Kraft of 50 GWh just 3 kilometers from Befring and we are happy to be able to produce green energy in this region”, says Antti Vilkuna, CEO of Suomen Voima.