Norway closes coal power plant in Svalbard
The coal power plant on Svalbard will be phased out and replaced with a more climate-friendly solution. The decision comes from the Norwegian government and a new energy plan for the archipelago’s capital Longyearbyen will be presented in the state budget for 2022.
The power plant has been in operation since 1983 and supplies society with electricity and district heating. But it has struggled with high maintenance costs and high carbon emissions.
“We are considering a smaller number of solutions that are both safe and significantly more environmentally friendly than today’s coal-fired power plants. Depending on which solution is chosen, a new energy solution can be in place within two to five years “, writes Minister of Petroleum and Energy Tina Bru (H) in a press release.
Global warming is about twice as fast in the Arctic as in the rest of the world. And it goes around Svalbard the fastest.
