– This is a special day. Kol has been the backbone of Longyearbyen since its inception. That’s what Guttorm Nygård, head of Svalbard Energi, says on a daily basis. Since 1983, the coal-fired power plant has provided heat and light to Longyearbyen. But coal as an energy source is not the best solution for reaching climate targets. In order to provide light and heat to 2,600 inhabitants of Longyearbyen, around 70,000 tonnes of CO₂ were released annually. This corresponds to the emissions from 40,000 petrol cars. The transition to other energy sources in Longyearbyen is part of the green wave. Wind turbines and solar cells have been installed at Svalbard Airport. But the transition is so far only a transition, because the new energy will not be emission-free for a long time. Here, coal is burned in one of the combustion chambers at the coal-fired power plant. On Thursday, this will be turned off. Expensive diesel When the incinerators are switched off on Thursday 19 October, coal will be replaced by diesel. – The practicalities are not that difficult, but we switch over to what has been the backup solution until now, i.e. diesel. You press a few buttons digitally, and then we will turn off the turbines outside in the turbine hall, says Nygård. But diesel is also not singled out as the energy favorite for environmental accounting. According to Nygård, the discharge will be roughly halved. Transition to diesel will also be marked on the residents’ wallets. – Electricity will probably become more expensive. With the diesel prices currently in the market, energy prices will go up in Longyearbyen, says Nygård. The daily manager of Svalbard Energi, Guttorm Nygård, believes that electricity prices will increase in Longyearbyen. Photo: Jannicke Mikkelsen / news Incoming leader of the Longyearbyen local government, Terje Aunevik (V), hopes the residents will not notice big differences. – Basically, I don’t hope that they notice the difference in terms of delivery reliability and warmth in the house. But there is great uncertainty about the price of diesel, much because of the war in Ukraine and now further reinforced by the war in the Middle East, he says. – But there are issues we have to deal with and work on now. Incoming leader of the Longyearbyen local government, Terje Aunevik (V), believes the day has great symbolic value. Photo: Ida Louise Rostad / news Focusing on the future Svalbard Energi feels confident that it is able to supply enough electricity through the winter, even on the coldest days. But the coal-fired power plant will still be an emergency solution in the first year. But the Norwegian authorities want to cut greenhouse gas emissions even more. The newly elected leader of the local council feels confident that diesel will be a safe and secure way of producing electricity for the time being, but believes it is important to look ahead. – Our ambition in the Local Board now is to try to speed up the phasing in of renewable energy, says Aunevik. But when energy production in Longyearbyen is to go from fossil to renewable, much of Svalbard’s history will also become history. 100 years of history comes to an end Norway’s last Norwegian-owned coal power plant has been supplied with coal from Norway’s last coal mine. Mine 7 is the last Norwegian coal mine left on Svalbard, and has delivered 30,000 tonnes of coal to the energy company every year. But the mine is already living on borrowed time. So when the combustion chambers are turned off at the coal-fired power plant, it also marks the end of more than 100 years of mining history, in a way. – It is a powerful anniversary. It has a strong symbolic value because it is so closely linked to mining, says Aunevik. – In many ways, it is the last day of industrial activity on Svalbard, even though the mining operation will be extended by two years. It is a topic that affects many people.
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Svalbard switches from coal to diesel to cut climate emissions – news Troms and Finnmark
