The situation varies between regions and river systems, but reservoir levels in Southern Norway are below normal.

In South-Eastern Norway (NO1) and Western Norway (NO5), where most of Hafslund's reservoirs are located, the reservoir level is 70.2 percent , which is 15.6 percentage points below the median.

Hafslund is monitoring developments closely, and the weather throughout the autumn will be important. A wet autumn could significantly improve the energy balance, while continued dry weather would make the situation more challenging.

Individual reservoirs are at very low levels

Although many reservoirs have near-normal water levels, the water level in some individual reservoirs is very low. Examples include Aursjoen in Skjåk, Fundin in Folldal/Oppdal, Dokkfløy in Nordre Land and Svartevatn in Aurland.

We fully understand that such low water levels pose challenges for other users, including those wishing to launch boats or fish. We would have liked to have more water, but we have no control over the weather.

There are several reasons for the low water level, but one important factor is a winter with little snow and a dry summer in Eastern Norway.

For example, inflow into the Glomma river system in July was less than half the normal level. Inflow has been monitored since 1903 and was lower in July only in 1986 and 2018. The low inflow continued into August.

Hafslund contributes to security of supply

Hafslund is required to contribute to security of supply. This means that we continuously assess our overall reservoir management with this in mind.

Since the end of February, we have produced significantly less than normal. In other words, we have long been aware of and taken into account the lack of snow and the dry weather.

In the first half of the year, Hafslund's production was 6 percent below normal, and the low production levels continued into the third quarter.

Hafslund is committed to safeguarding security of supply in both the short and long term. While meeting society’s immediate needs, we must also retain enough water to generate electricity through the winter. This is a dilemma we face every single day.

We do not expect any challenges to security of supply. Statnett considers the power situation in all price areas to be normal . There may still be significant precipitation before winter, and Norway has many power plants that can generate electricity from reservoirs with good water levels. However, Southern Norway may become more dependent on imports than in a normal year.

We take the situation seriously and are planning for several possible scenarios. At the same time, we will continue to do what we are tasked with: managing water resources responsibly, keeping our facilities operational and producing electricity when the power system signals that it is needed.