Imagine a giant thermos in the ground. During the summer, the water in the thermos is heated using solar energy. When the dark and cold season comes, the energy in the ground is used to heat houses. The so-called “geothermosis” is one of the possibilities outlined in the new energy plan for Longyearbyen, which will be presented to local politicians on Tuesday. The plan is ambitious, and envisages that the environmental disaster on Svalbard will become self-sufficient in green, renewable energy within the next seven years. – The plan is important, because Longyearbyen is today one of the communities with the largest CO₂ emissions based on the number of inhabitants, says project manager for Energiplan Longyearbyen, Torbjørn Grøtte. Just a stone’s throw away we find the “culprit”, namely Norway’s only coal-fired power plant. One of two coal furnaces in the power plant in Longyearbyen. Halving CO2 emissions in 2023 Today, the residents of Longyearbyen get electricity and heat from coal, which is produced in Gruve 7 just outside the town. However, the burning of coal in the power plant leads to the emission of around 80,000 tonnes of CO₂ every single year. That is roughly the same as the emissions of 40,000 passenger cars. But coal’s time as an energy source will soon be over, also in Svalbard. As a transitional solution, the local politicians have already decided that coal will be replaced by diesel fuel during the autumn of 2023. This will immediately halve the CO2 emissions in Longyearbyen. But it does not stop there. The goal is for the CO2 footprint in Longyearbyen to be close to zero. Already in 2025, the first renewable solutions can be phased in, in the form of biogas or ammonia. Torbjørn Grøtte leads the work on the energy plan for Longyearbyen. Photo: Rune Nordgård Andreassen / news If everything goes according to plan, the small community of 2,640 inhabitants will be self-sufficient in green, renewable energy in 2030. According to the proposed energy plan, there is a balance between wind power, solar energy and geothermal heat. Wind is pointed out as the cheapest solution to operate, but at the same time requires large areas and investments. The various solutions must therefore be investigated in more detail, before a final decision is taken, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Oil and Energy. Operational reliability, economy, renewables Three main elements have formed the basis of the work on the energy transition in Longyearbyen. Because in addition to finding the best renewable solutions, it is also about what it will all cost the citizens. In 2023, those living in Longyearbyen will have to deal with an almost 40 per cent increase in energy costs. According to the local board, this is due to increased production costs for both coal and diesel. Windmill at Svalbard Airport. The airport has also installed solar panels as part of its own energy transition. Photo: Svalbard Lufthavn But with the transition to renewable solutions, the energy price will go down, because operating costs are low, Grøtte explains. The third and most important element, however, is to find the energy solution that provides the very best operational reliability. Namely, Longyearbyen cannot connect to any external network if the city’s own power production fails. On top comes the harsh climate and a building stock that is poor. – You will quickly start freezing if there is an interruption in the supply, Grøtte asserts. – The state must contribute It will cost several hundred million kroner to convert to a completely new energy system in Longyearbyen. The roughly 2,600 residents cannot bear that cost alone, says local board leader Arild Olsen (Ap). He points out that the world has changed radically since the local council and the Storting endorsed the project. If the energy plan is to be implemented properly, central authorities must contribute, says Olsen. – If not, there is a risk that the costs will be so great that the project cannot be carried out, says Olsen.
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Longyearbyen must be self-sufficient in green energy by 2030 – news Troms and Finnmark
