Start of foundation work postponed to spring 2027

"Building a new energy plant in Arctic regions is an extensive and complex process. There are many pieces that must be put in place, both with regulatory authorities and with regard to technical specifications. We see that we will not complete the necessary regulatory processes in time to start the groundwork this autumn, and we are now aiming to be able to start next spring," says Bergit Svenning, head of the development project at Store Norske (the state-owned mining company).

The energy system in Longyearbyen is facing a major upgrade: construction of a new power plant and renewal of the electricity and district heating network. Planning of the power plant is well under way, and the original plan was to start the groundwork in September this year. Because of permafrost, a foundation solution with freeze foundation has been designed, where the ground is kept permanently frozen by means of a cooling system. Excavation work must be carried out in the summer half of the year when the ground is thawed, before freezing-in takes place the following winter. The freezing-in takes about six to eight months before construction work can start. When a start in September is not possible, the excavation work must be postponed until next spring.

"The project organisation is working at full speed to plan the whole project, so that we will be well prepared for the further processes when we get started," says Svenning.

Store Norske took over responsibility for the energy supply in Longyearbyen on 9 January this year through Svalbard Energi AS. The company has issued the tender competition for the first construction stages of the new energy plant.

"We have a good dialogue with the contractors about further progress in the project, and we are looking at how we can solve this in a good way," says Svenning.

The postponement of the project by one year entails somewhat increased costs, but it is too early to estimate how much, according to Svenning.