The power is cheap. Cucumber grower Johan Morten Vold from Frosta in Trøndelag lives on the right side of the border. – The difference in electricity price is not fair and completely incomprehensible, he says. In June, the average price of electricity was 17 times cheaper north of Dovre than in southern Norway. This week, tomato grower Håvard Skavland in Stavanger paid as much as NOK 3 per kilowatt hour for the electricity. Lately, the electricity has cost only between 1 and 3 øre in Trøndelag. The difference in electricity prices has never before been as great as now. Until the winter, it will be even worse, several power analysts predict. The electricity price last winter was nothing compared to what is coming in the winter in southern Norway, analysts predict. Photo: Rita Kleven Predicts tough winter – The prospect is that winter will be tough. We have never been around before of what is to come, says power analyst Tor Reier Lilleholt in Volue Insight. The price this summer is far higher than what we had this winter. When consumption increases, we expect higher prices than now, he says. He predicts an average price of between NOK 2.50 and NOK 3 in southern Norway this winter. – There are businesses that will have a challenge here and the winter can be heavy, he says. The price of electricity has never been higher in the summer than now in southern Norway. NOK 3 per / KWh cost the electricity for Håvard Skavland this week. Photo: Kristoffer Apall Several lay off employees – Something must happen. Now it has been six expensive months. We have no idea what will happen in the next six months, but people know it will be extremely expensive, says tomato producer Håvard Skavland in Stavanger. The concern is shared by the Norwegian Horticultural Association, which is already seeing the consequences of electricity prices this summer, which are higher than they were this winter. Several nurseries are now taking action. There is great uncertainty in the horticultural industry due to extremely high electricity prices. Photo: Kristoffer Apall – The high prices of electricity mean that several horticulture companies have made difficult decisions to reduce their production. Some have laid off or laid off employees. It is very serious, says Secretary General Katrine Røed Meberg Meberg fears bankruptcy in the industry. Secretary General Katrine Røed Meberg says high electricity prices now affect the production of vegetables and flowers. Photo: Ingunn Haraldsen, NGF Urgent Despite electricity support for greenhouses and agriculture, the price of electricity is three times higher than normal. – It helps a lot, but the price of electricity is still extremely high. It is also only a temporary arrangement until next spring. We do not know what happens then. This gives Norwegian green production little predictability and major challenges, she says. The Norwegian Gardeners’ Association now demands immediate action. Tomato producer Håvard Skavland has been waiting a long time for measures. The tomato producer from Stavanger, Håvard Skavland, says that politicians cannot wait. Drastic measures must be taken Photo: Kristoffer Apall Unbearable – This winter we must hold on if the politicians do not take drastic measures. I think there should be a maximum price for electricity throughout the country, and it should be 80 øre per kilowatt hour, says Skavland. At Skavland horticulture, they received 6 million in electricity bills last year, now the bill can be tripled to 15 million. They do not have to worry in Trøndelag. At Frostagrønt, they have a low fixed price for electricity. Nevertheless, cucumber grower Johan Morten Vold believes that it is unsustainable to have such large price differences as now. – It’s catastrophic. Everyone in Trøndelag and the rest of the country sympathizes with businesses in the current situation. There should be equal electricity prices and equal conditions of competition if you live in Oslo or Trøndelag. Cheap electricity here at Frosta due to a lot of water in the reservoirs. But the grid is too narrow for the power to flow to southern Norway and provide cheaper electricity there as well. Photo: Rita Kleven Does not get the power south In Trøndelag, electricity is cheap. There is a large surplus of power and a lot of water in the reservoirs. The large differences in electricity prices could have been avoided if more of the power had been sent to southern Norway. This is not possible, because the network is too narrow and underdeveloped between north and south. – North of Dovre we have a lot of power, but we do not get the power south. Therefore, it will be reasonable in Central Norway and northwards, says CEO of Trønderenergi, Ståle Gjersvold. – If you had been a little more far-sighted, you could have seen this situation a good number of years ago. But at the same time, there is now an extraordinary situation with high gas prices in Europe and very dry in Eastern Norway, says Gjersvold. He expects continued low prices in Central Norway and high electricity prices in Eastern Norway. Statnett promises improvement Soon the power will flow somewhat better between north and south. – During the next year, Statnett will implement a new market solution that allows us to make better use of the current network. Then we will be able to transfer more electricity where there are restrictions today, says Martha Hagerup Nilson, communications manager at Statnett. There will also be an improvement when a new power line is completed across the Sognefjord, but that is not until 2025. Here at Frostagrønt in Trøndelag, they have a low fixed price for electricity. In southern Norway, on the other hand, there are fears of bankruptcies in several nurseries due to sky-high electricity prices Photo: Jan Arne Austad
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Demands an end to huge differences in electricity prices – news Trøndelag
