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Parki – the little brother

Parki – the little brother
Parki Hydro Power Station could be described as Seitevare’s little brother. After completing the strenuous work up in the remote location of Seitevare, the construction workers moved southwards to Parki, 40 kilometres from Jokkmokk, to develop the smallest of the power stations in the Lule Älv River. Parki is situated between the lakes of Parkijaure and Randijaure in the Lilla Lule Älv River. Construction started in October 1967 and, due to the mild and dry weather, was free of complications. The average age of the workers was unusually high, ranging between 50–60 years. ‘It was an extraordinary crew.’ said supervisor Hans Hittekofer.

Increasing the construction pace

In 1970 the pace of construction increased. During the winter, there was a shortage of electricity in the country resulting from a combination of a dry year, cold weather and a booming economy. Utilities urged the population to save electricity until the spring flood that would relieve pressure on the electricity system.

Tube turbine

One fact that makes Parki unusual is that at the time of construction, there was only one other tube turbine in operation in Sweden. With the facility’s low head (drop) of 14 metres, the optimal solution was to install this type of turbine. Tube turbines had received publicity in part through the construction of a French hydro power station that utilised the tide to generate electricity. The small Parki Hydro Power Station was fitted with one of the world’s first tube turbines.

The electricity generated at Parki was mostly seen as a bonus effect. The main contribution of Parki Hydro Power Station was that it provided the rest of the river with flow regulation, something of great importance to power stations further downstream. This increased the generation in these power stations downstream by 135 GWh/year.

Characteristics of the Lule Älv River

Hydro power is a reliable, safe and renewable source of energy. Today, hydro power accounts for nearly half of Sweden’s total electricity demand. The Lule Älv River, by which Parki is located, is Vattenfall’s and Sweden’s most important river for hydro power generation.

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