Post by Statkraft

Claustrophobic? Don’t look any further 🫣 Welcome to Nedre Røssåga hydropower plant in Norway. 💧 This is the workplace of mechanical engineer Kevin Fredriksen who’s drawn the short straw and has the job of inspecting the plant’s suction pipe, considered one of the most dangerous places at a hydropower plant (the suction pipe’s function is to conduct water from the water turbine down to the outlet). 👉 This key piece of maintenance work is done each four years and involves hammering the steel plates to make sure there aren’t any cavities between them and the concrete around the pipe. What makes the work particularly tricky is the tiny space where it has to be done. 👀 Naturally, this type of operation is conducted with an absolute laser focus on safety (for example, anyone working in these spaces needs to bring an oxygen measure in case the space becomes airless). Just getting into the pipe through the manhole requires Kevin being lowered by a ladder connected to a rope and pully system. As these images show, maintenance might not always be the most glamorous work, but it’s unquestionably some of the most vital.