The project is located on the West coast of Greenland 350 km north of the Arctic Circle. The area is close to the inland ice cap and with continuous permafrost.
Investigation for the project started in 1976 and in 1988 a conceptual design was prepared. The project consists of two reservoir lakes at elevation 187 m and 233 m respectively. From submersed intakes in the lakes headrace tunnels convey the water to an underground power station and a tailrace runs to a fjord.
The power station was equipped with four turbines each 5 MW. The purpose of the power project is to supply electricity for power and heating for Ilulissat town 40 km to the South.
Due to the permafrost conditions and the fact that the water temperatures in the lakes are just above freezing point, comprehensive permafrost studies were made. A finite element model was prepared to determine the temperature regime around the tunnels based on temperature measurements in deep boreholes. Another model was set up to calculate the water temperature in the tunnels during operation in order to evaluate the risk for super cooled water upstream of the turbines.
As a result of the calculations it was decided to lower the headrace tunnels below the permafrost. Furthermore, a special intake was designed with a short insulated pipeline which could be heated if risk for ice formation occurs. The outlet in the fjord also called for a special design in order to avoid frazil ice to form where the cold water from the tailrace meets the saline water in the fjord with temperature below 0 °C.
The project was shelved in 1989 due to change in prioritisation, but the planning was taken up again in 2007 and a feasibility study was prepared in 2008 based on 25-years hydrological runoff series and evaluation of the future runoff from the ice cap. The layout is changed to only one headrace tunnel from the lower lake and a conveying tunnel with special designed submerged intake from the upper lake to the lower lake.
The installation is two Francis turbines each 7.5 MW. An extension is possible by raising the water level in the reservoir by a dam and installing a third turbine. The energy production is estimated to 64.4 GWH/a.