In November, everything went black at Dørvær in Træna municipality. It wasn’t the first time. The submarine cable that had supplied electricity to the island since 1970 had failed before. Last year it was a total disaster. Now the municipality is fighting to get the power supply restored, while the grid company Arva wants to buy its way out of the problem. The island, which is part of Træna municipality, is 35 kilometers from the mainland. The cable that has now failed is about 3 km long. – Repairing the old submarine cable is no use, says head of network strategy Fred Arnesen in Arva. According to the company, it will cost NOK 7 million to install a new power cable. They believe that would be a poor use of society’s resources. The island has no permanent residents. 4 holiday homes are still in use, Arva argues, but the electricity consumption is low. Mayor: – I think it’s a shame. Through the Energy Act, Arva has a delivery obligation in the area, but the company has applied to NVE to be exempted from the requirement. news has spoken to one of the home owners in Dørvær, who refers to the law firm Kvasstind AS. But the law firm does not want to comment on the case. On the other hand, mayor Jan Helge Andersen in Træna municipality wants that. He reacts to Arva paying customers on the island to not have to supply electricity. – Yes, I thought it was a sin, says the mayor. Mayor of Træna, Jan Helge Andersen, is concerned that Dørvær will become an example for network companies to follow. Photo: Frank Nygård / news The municipal council received Arva’s application to NVE for exemption from delivery obligations at a hearing last week. – I thought it was sad that Arva is going that way and making agreements before the case has been decided. In its response, the municipality asks NVE to reject the application from Arva, even though a new submarine cable will cost NOK 7 million. – Yes, it is a large sum. But if we are to have development and houses in the districts on the islets and islands we have, I think it is a small sum for the wider community. Offers 100,000 to owners of holiday homes In the application, it is stated that 3 of the 4 holiday homes in the last two years have had an average annual electricity consumption of 792 kWh. This corresponds to the electricity consumption of a Norwegian household for a week. The last holiday home at Dørvær has used almost no electricity. According to Statistics Norway, last year a Norwegian household had an electricity consumption of 109 kWh per day, while the average consumption for cabins per day was 7.7 kWh Photo: Hans Petter Sørensen Arnesen in Arva believes that they are making it possible for the homeowners in Dørvær to cover needs in other ways with the sum they pay out. – We have offered an amount that will cover costs with a good margin to establish an alternative energy supply that meets the needs of the customers, says Arnesen. He suggests alternative energy sources such as solar cells, propane systems, diesel generators or battery systems. The four homeowners were all offered NOK 100,000, but responded through their law firm by demanding one million each. Now the house owners are said to have accepted the original offer. – A week ago, 3 out of 4 customers had accepted. We understand that the fourth agreement is also well on its way to being accepted. So then we have an amicable agreement with everyone that we can cut the power supply, says Arnesen. It may be appropriate to buy out more customers But the mayor believes the case extends further than the four homeowners in Dørvær. He fears that this could set a precedent for other vacated and straitened rural communities, if a cable breaks there. – I think so. Once they have said yes here, then online companies will probably use the same arguments elsewhere. The mayor fears for several other islands in the island municipality, such as Sanna and Sandøya. – There is one permanent resident on Sandøya. If the cable breaks there, it is not certain that the person will receive electricity. Arva does not rule out that they can make the same offer elsewhere where the infrastructure is now over 60 years old. – There will be more of this in the coming years. 7 million is a lot in four pieces, if you can solve the need in a cheaper way for society, says Fred Arnesen in Arva. The case has not been decided The case is on hearing, will be decided by the Norwegian Energy Regulatory Authority (RME). RME writes in an e-mail to news that they cannot comment specifically on Dørvær. But they confirm that the network companies can apply for an exemption from the delivery obligation. Exemptions may be applicable for leisure facilities, seating facilities, tourist cabins or the like. – There will be more of this in the coming years. The threshold for granting exemption from the delivery obligation is high, says Andrea Kråkenes Aase, senior consultant at RME. Arnesen hopes for a quick clarification. – I would like to believe that if RME sees that we can meet the need for a cheaper way for society, then it can count as a positive that we have an amicable agreement with the customers, says Arnesen in Arva. But the municipal council in Træna believes that the fact that the island can be relevant for business development should weigh more heavily. – We do not have any plans as of today. But who knows what the future holds. It could be tourism or whatever, says the mayor. – How do you see the development opportunities without a fixed power supply? – It will be almost hopeless. Then there will be construction costs in the millions. It should be done that someone bets.
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The network company Arva pays cabin owners on the island of Dørvær in Træna 100,000 to avoid having to supply electricity – news Nordland
