Lule River

Bridge over the Lule älv at Vuollerim

The waterfall was Harsprånget älv the largest waterfall of the Lule until he Harsprånget by the hydroelectric plant dry Stora fell. The Lithograph by Carl Svante Beck Hall from 1856 shows the waterfall in the polar night with three viewers around the campfire, one of which is observed and the auroral

Location of Luleälv

Template: Infobox River / Obsolete

The Lule älv (also Luleälven or Luleälv ) is a North Swedish river, which flows from the Scandinavian Mountains in the Baltic Sea.

Course

The Lule älv has a length of 450 km and drains an area of 25,245 km ². The two source rivers, Stora and Lilla Luleälven Luleälven, rise in Sulitjelma massif or in Sarekgebirge. The Lule älv opens in Luleå in the Gulf of Bothnia. The average discharge ( MQ ) is at the mouth of 545 m³ / s

Economy

The Lule älv is used extensively for the production of hydro energy. At its running are 14 large hydropower stations, including five of the ten largest hydroelectric power plants in Sweden. The expansion has led to a radical change in the watercourse.

Sweden's largest hydro power plant, Stora Harsprånget lies about 10 km south of the community Porjus where also created a power plant. With the use of the falls for Stora Harsprånget began while in 1918, but only in 1952, after many interruptions, the power plant was put into operation. This energy is now produced with a capacity of 945 MW. Initially caused the power plant to power the mines and the railroad.

Between about 1864 and 1867 began to channel the river. About the channel iron ore should be transported from the region around Gällivare to Luleå. Known as the English channel construction project had to be controlled, however after a short construction period due to bankruptcy of the operating company. The most significant remains of the canal project can be found today near the residential area on the outskirts of the city Trångfors ground.