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VÄSTERÅS STEAM POWER STATION

- A CENTURY OF ENERGY

The steam power station was inaugurated in 1917 as a backup for Älvkarleby hydro power plant - north of Uppsala - as the water flow in the river Dalälven varied considerably. Both plants were owned by the Swedish Royal Power Board (Vattenfall).

The electricity demand in Sweden grew very rapidly and the steam power station was extended in several stages.

From the 1930s, it became a reserve and backup facility for the whole country.

The power station has an age, an architecture and contains equipment that makes it unique. It also represents an underlying desire to create a better society by using advanced technology. The power station has had an important role in the development of Sweden, which

is well worth considering. Not only the buildings and the technology are important, but also the people whose work helped to create

and operate the facility.

Today, Sweden has few historical industrial plants preserved to such extent as the Västerås steam power station.

1954 a new era started. Västerås city started to build district heating and heat was delivered from the steam power station.

1969 was the last big production year - nuclear power came and the need for a reserve/backup facility was no longer there. It was decommissioned in 1983 when the turbines were preserved and prepared for later recommissioning. The final descision of decommissioning was taken in 1992.

The construction company Peab bought the plant from Vattenfall in 1998 and in 1999 the power station - exterior and mechanical equipment -

was declared a historical building by the Swedish National Heritage Board.

Did you know that...

In the mid 1950s, the steam power station was the third-largest power station all categories in Sweden (240MW). The power station had capacity enough to supply the whole of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö with electric power.

The verical hanging high tower boilers and the turbines had an extremely short start-up time. From cold start up they were able to provide electric power within 20 minutes. Important for a backup station.

Since 1921, the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) has annually awarded Swedish inventors, visionaries and scientists for important and significant contributions in their fields of activity. Five people have received IVA's Gold Medal for work on development of the steam turbine and tower units at Vasteras steam power.

Västerås Steam Power station is depicted in the Swedish passports.