Buksefjord hydroelectric power plant

The Buksefjord hydroelectric power plant is the first and largest hydroelectric power plant in Greenland. It was built by Nuuk-Kraft and it is operated by Nukissiorfiit, Greenland's national energy company.[1]

In 1984–85, Greenland's energy authority prepared a Greenland's hydroelectricity development program. At that time all electricity in Greenland was produced by oil based fuels, but there had been a sharp rise in oil prices in the preceding years. Construction of a plant in Buksefjord was proposed by a private consortium in 1988. In 1989, four companies were invited to a public tender. However, later it was decided that construction of the plant will be financed by the Home Rule of Greenland and the plant will be rented to Nuuk-Kraft consortium. Construction of the plant was approved by the Parliament of Greenland in 1990.[1] It was commissioned in 1993.[2]

Unconventionally, the power station is situated 600 metres (2,000 ft) inside a mountain and it consists of 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) of tunnels.[2] The upper reservoir, Kang Lake, is situated 249 metres (817 ft) above sea level at Buksefjord. Due to damming and deep inlet, it has a total effective volume of 1.9 cubic kilometres (0.46 cu mi), which is six times more than the annual water consumption by the plant. From the lake, a 10.5-kilometre (6.5 mi) long inlet pressure tunnel runs down to the plant.[1]

Originally, the plant had two turbines with capacity of 15 MW each. In 2008, a third turbine with the same capacity was installed.[2][3]

The generated power is transferred to Nuuk over the 57-kilometre (35 mi) long Buksefjord–Nuuk power line, which includes the Ameralik Span, the world's longest span.[1][3]