– It will be expensive. I don’t think it’s a good idea, says Viktoria Helene Jacobsen whom news meets on the streets of Hammerfest. DYRT: Viktoria Helene Jakobsen has little faith in the government’s assurances that Melkøya electricity will not cause power shortages in Finnmark. Photo: Bethel Britto / Bethel Britto She fears both the costs of the project itself and believes that electricity will become more expensive for most people when Equinor’s huge onshore facility for natural gas will switch to electricity by 2030. CRITICAL: Olaug Johanne Isaksen Olsen and Anne Bente Olufsen Stockman. Photo: Bethel Britto / news Also Olaug Johanne Isaksen Olsen and Anne Bente Olufsen Stockman are against the government’s big prestige project for climate cuts. The fact that the plans also include large wind projects and a new power line from Skaidi to Hammerfest makes the two friends upset. – They destroy the beautiful nature we have up here, says Olsen. – I think it’s foolish, agrees Stockman. Legal action Earlier this summer, the Sámi Parliament issued a legal summons against the state, in protest against the prestige project that the government presented last year. The formal basis is linked to the involvement upfront, which the Sámi Parliament believes was so deficient that the proceedings are in breach of the law. President of the Sami Parliament Silje Karine Muotka from the National Confederation of Norwegian Sami believes that the government is steering right against new and inflamed territorial conflicts in the north. Not least, she fears major natural encroachments that will affect reindeer husbandry. – It is not just a question of a power line here. We are also talking about a number of wind farms, she says. Power line Skaidi-Hammerfest The Skaidi-Hammerfest project is a continuation of the new 420 kv power line between Balsfjord in Troms and Skaidi in Western Finnmark. The extension towards Hammerfest is based on Equinor’s plans for the electrification of the gas plant on Melkøya. The route is planned to be built as a parallel to the current 132 kV line along most of the route, and will provide three times as much power capacity in Hammerfest municipality. In addition to supplying Melkøya with electricity, the power surplus will provide major development opportunities for industry in the area. The Sámi Parliament believes the government must stop the electrification project until the court has decided the case. In the Storting, SV, Rødt and MDG have given joint support for this demand. State Secretary Elisabeth Sæther (Ap) Photo: Ingrid Lindgaard Stranden / news – We do not agree that the decision is invalid, says State Secretary Elisabeth Sæther (Ap) in the Ministry of Energy to news. – Do you want to stop the process that is underway, including this subpoena? – No, we will not do that. And on the streets of Hammerfest there are also voices that give the plans a clear thumbs up. Ulf Knudsen is among them. – They have to develop the electricity we must have. So this is going perfectly well, he says. SUPPORTERS: Ulf Knudsen believes it is absolutely right to bet on new power development in Finnmark. Photo: Bethel Britto / news Does not rule out more expensive electricity The government refers to calculations from Statnett which state that electrification of Melkøya will not cause a power shortage in Finnmark. But all the many wind projects that the government hopes will be realized are unlikely to be ready before 2030. This means that electricity in the north may become more expensive, Sæther acknowledges. – Increased consumption raises the price. Increased power production lowers the price. We are keen to bring in new production to curb the rise in prices, she says. REJECTS: Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) rejects that the government is heading straight for a new Fosen conflict with the Sami. Photo: William Jobling / news When news visited Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) at the cottage in Kilsund earlier this summer, he defended the plans to electrify Melkøya. – I am confident that we can produce power that both meets Melkøya’s needs and other needs to further develop Finnmark. Finnmark has fantastic wind resources, he said. – But the reactions from the Sami side surely show that you are now heading straight for a Fosen repeat? – In no way. We must learn from Fosen and the decisions that were made there. We must respect the duty we have to consult the Sami Parliament when there are license applications and decisions to be made. That does not mean that we always agree, but we must certainly place great emphasis on listening to the dialogue, he says. Published 29/07/2024, at 21.26
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Støre rejects Fosen replay – does not stop Melkøya plan – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
