Svea was a construction town deep in the Van Mijenfjord in Svalbard. Now the airport, the power plant, the deep-water quay and nearly 60 buildings have been demolished. The post-mining clean-up of Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani in Svea is Norway’s largest initiative to restore nature. Sweating after cleaning. Sweating after cleaning. Sweating after cleaning. Sweating after cleaning. Sweating after cleaning. Sweating after cleaning. – This is an incredibly fascinating project. Here we have returned the entire area to its original state. It reminds us that we cannot create more nature, but we can recreate what was, says Climate and Environment Minister Espen Barth Eide (Ap). On Thursday this week, he was in Svea to make the closure official. Clearing work to 1.6 billion In 2017, it was decided that the mining community here should be razed to the ground. The minister says it is being done because the government is concerned with safeguarding Svalbard’s unique, wilderness-like nature. Mining in Svea In 1917, the plant was founded by the Swedish company Aktiebolaget Spetsbergens Svenska Kolfält. Store Norske bought Sveagruva in 1934 for NOK 1 million. At most, there were 400 employees in Svea, which is located deep in the Van Mijenfjorden on Svalbard. The last litter came out of Svea Nord on 8 April 2016. By then a total of approx. 32 million tonnes. It was in connection with the state budget for 2018 that the Storting decided to wind down mining in Svea and Lunckefjell. Source: Store Norske Now most of the buildings and tools are gone. But there are still traces of coal mining and workers in Svea on Svalbard. But there are significantly fewer than a few years ago. – It was a center for Norwegian coal mining and a fairly lively community. It was a society that was awake almost around the clock, including Christmas Eve and Easter Eve. Never stop, project manager Gudmund Løvli. The clean-up work is estimated to have a cost of NOK 1.6 billion. The Minister for Climate and Environment says the project has become cheaper than planned. Eide was impressed to see the result. Climate and Environment Minister Espen Barth Eide was responsible for the official closure of Svea this week. Photo: Jannicke Mikkelsen – The work is done in such a way that you invite nature to do the rest. We have done our bit to remove most traces of human activity, he says. Have cleaned their own workplace Several of those who have taken part in the clean-up work at Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani. For some, it has been an emotional process. Project manager Gudmund Løvli in Svea. Photo: Jannicke Mikkelsen – I think there are many who think it has been painful. After all, they are cleaning out their own, former workplace. At the same time, there are many people who have been involved, and I have got the impression that they thought it was an exciting assignment, says Løvli. Several buildings are protected Some of the memories from the mining community remain. – We keep what we want to have a memory of the large business that was here, says Barth Eide. It is only the oldest buildings that have not been razed to the ground. Only three buildings remain standing. Photo: Jannicke Mikkelsen Three listed buildings from before the Second World War will remain. – Here in Svea, buildings built before 1945 are automatically protected. In addition, there are some tracks on and under the ground that are archaeological tracks. Now nature has taken the area back, but we think it’s great that some traces of the exciting history remain here, says national antiquarian Hanna Geiran. National antiquarian Hanna Geiran. Photo: Jannicke Mikkelsen
ttn-69
Cleanup of Sveagruva in Svalbard is complete – news Troms and Finnmark
