Reversed power crisis in central Norway: – Losing money on producing electricity no

There is a power crisis in Europe, and southern Norway has never experienced such high electricity prices. In the rest of the country, the situation is turned upside down. They are simply losing money on producing electricity now. According to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, we have to go back ten years to find a July as wet in Central Norway as this year. It comes on top of large amounts of snow that have melted and filled up the reservoir. In late June this year, the Zakarias Dam in Tafjord had to be drained of water. This is the fifth time it has happened in 21 years. This means that water that could have produced a current flows away. Large quantities of water are good news for those who pay for the electricity, quite frankly only in Northern and Central Norway. But for the power company, it means less money in the coffers. – When electricity prices are as low as they are now, it is clear that the ignition is bad, says Director of Production at Tafjord Power Generation, Stig Falling, which operates Zakarias Dam. They now produce half as much electricity as they have capacity for. The cheap electricity has also led to the wind power plant at Stokkfjellet in Selbu municipality in Trøndelag having to stop production. – There have been several weeks this summer where the turbines have stood still, says Stig Tore Laugen, executive director of Trønderenergi. Trønderenergi has both hydropower plants and wind power plants. Because the water reservoirs are full and produce more than enough current, they have to reduce production at the windmills. Stokkfjellet wind power plant has 21 wind turbines that have the capacity to produce electricity for approximately 21,000 households. Photo: Jøte Toftaker / news Big price differences Last week a new record was set for the price difference between the current in the south and in the north. In the south of the country, they had to pay around NOK 3 per kilowatt hour, while further north they had almost free electricity at 1.7 øre per kilowatt hour. Head of analysis at Insight by Volue, Tor Reier Lillehol, says there have never been such big differences as there are now. – It is an extraordinary situation, I have never experienced that it has been so wet in the north, and so dry in the south, he says. There are several reasons why there is such a large price difference. Electricity is a fresh commodity, and there are too few power lines for the extra electricity that is produced to be sent south. In addition, it has been extremely dry in southern Norway, which means little water to produce electricity. And a lot of rainfall that gives full magazines in the rest of the country. Which means that several power companies have had to limit their electricity production. – It is a shame that we cannot produce the power we have available from the water resources we have, he says. Large amounts of water in free fall on Zakarias dam in Tafjord. They expect that water will flow from the reservoir for another week. Photo: Remi Sagen / news Lillehol thinks it will take about five years before the extreme differences between north and south will even out, but beyond the autumn you will see slightly more expensive prices in the north as well. – These low prices can last for a few more months. But when autumn comes, I think the prices will rise to 30 øre in the north of the country as well. But a completely different scale than what you see in the south. Millions of liters of water flow over the 95 meter high Zakarias Dam in Tafjord



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