LNS Spitsbergen won the tender for environmental projects

"We had a thorough tender process and ended up with three bids. LNS submitted a very good bid and was also the best on price. We look forward to an efficient and good project delivery," says Lillian Risvaag, project manager at Longyearbyen lokalstyre (the local council).

Store Norske (the state-owned mining company) and the Longyearbyen local council have joined forces on the three large environmental projects on Svalbard. The agreement regulates the division of responsibilities, project management and delivery between the parties. Under the agreement, Store Norske will handle project and construction management on behalf of the parties, while the Longyearbyen local council is the main contracting party towards the contractor.

"This is an important and well-founded cooperation between the two organisations. Through the cooperation we can clean up after historical activity and ensure a responsible closure of existing landfills. We save about 50 million kroner by carrying out the projects in this way, while the solution gives considerable environmental gains," says Rune Midtgaard, chief executive officer of Store Norske.

The biggest gain from the cooperation solution is that slag and ash masses from the landfill at Mine 3 can be used for backfilling and terrain shaping in Adventdalen, instead of being transported to and deposited on the mainland.

"LNS is a highly competent organisation with long experience from Svalbard and from work in Arctic areas. We see it as a great advantage to have a contractor on board who knows the local conditions well, and who has solid experience in carrying out demanding projects on Svalbard," says Anders Ringheim, project manager at Store Norske.

The work is planned to start in September 2026 and to be completed during 2027. The clean-up at Mine 7 is to be finished by December 2026.

"We are very pleased to have won this contract. LNS has more than 25 years of experience from Svalbard, and we know both the conditions and the requirements for carrying out large projects here. We look forward to good cooperation with Store Norske and the Longyearbyen local council and to getting started on the work," says Gunnar Hegstad, chief executive officer of LNS Spitsbergen.

The residents of Longyearbyen will notice the work in the form of increased heavy transport during the period. There will in particular be more construction traffic between Mine 3 and Adventdalen. The project will emphasise carrying out the transport in a safe way and with as little inconvenience as possible for the residents.