Hitra Wind Farm is Statkraft's second major wind-farm development and makes a considerable contribution to the company's commitment to being a leading European company in the field of environmentally friendly energy. It has taken 15 months to build Hitra Wind Farm and an extension to the Smøla Wind Farm will be completed next year. The Hitra and Smøla wind farms will then produce a total of 600 GWh, almost as much as the Alta power station. This is enough to cover the electricity requirements of more than 30 000 households. Hitra Wind Farm will provide 3-4 jobs at Hitra during the operational phase. With today's tax regulations, the facility will provide the municipality with annual revenues of almost NOK 2 million.
"For the past hundred years, Statkraft has helped to build the present-day Norway by supplying society with energy in the form of electricity," says Bård Mikkelsen. "Statkraft's ambition is now to play a key role in developing new energy and utilising the country's unique natural conditions. Norway is - together with the UK - the country in Europe that is best suited for wind power."
Statkraft was recently awarded its second licence to build and operate a wind farm in the county of Finnmark. The licence applies to Skallhalsen Wind Farm in the municipality of Vadsø. Statkraft already has a licence for the Kjøllefjord Wind Farm in the municipality of Lebesby.
In addition, Statkraft has recently applied for a licence for a wind farm in the Austevoll municipality in Hordaland County and is also planning other facilities. These projects make a considerable contribution to the authorities' goal of producing 3 TWh of wind power by 2010. Statkraft's goal is for the company's wind farms to produce a total of 2 TWh by 2010. This is equal to the electricity requirements of around 100,000 households.
Statkraft wishes to be a leading European company in the field of environment-friendly energy. Based on more than 100 years of knowledge and investments, the Group is well equipped for further growth and development - and has a clearly stated desire to create lasting value. Statkraft stands for sustainable development in both an environmental and a financial sense. It achieved pre-tax income for 2003 of almost NOK 4.8 billion. The Group produces a total of 42 TWh per annum, making it the third-largest producer of electricity in the Nordic region and the second-largest producer of renewable energy in Europe. The Group has approximately 2,000 employees, including those in Skagerak Energi and Trondheim Energiverk. Statkraft also has ownership shares in BKK, Agder Energi and Fjordkraft, which are Norwegian power companies, and in Sweden's Sydkraft.