Longyearbyen · 78.22 N 15.63 E

Svalbard Wire

Est. 2026

Everything said about Svalbard, in one place

Monday 9 November 2026No. 15TopicEvery topicFind

Work and money

After coal

Longyearbyen after the end of Norwegian coal mining, from the power supply to the clean-up of the old sites.

Also called: Mine 7, Store Norske (the state-owned mining company), Svalbard Energi (the local energy company), Hotellneset power plant

Where it stands

Store Norske (the state-owned mining company) closed Mine 7 on 4 May 2026, ending Norwegian coal mining on Svalbard. The mine stopped producing coal on 30 June 2025.

Checked 27 October 2026

Longyearbyen's power has come from diesel since 2023. Since summer 2026 a solar plant also feeds surplus power into the town's grid.

Checked 27 October 2026

A new energy plant is planned at Hotellneset. Store Norske moved the start of foundation work to spring 2027 and invited residents to a public meeting on the plans in October.

Checked 27 October 2026

Store Norske and Longyearbyen lokalstyre (the local council) are cleaning up old landfills and mining sites under one joint contract, won by the contractor LNS Spitsbergen.

Checked 27 October 2026

Reports

15 reports

November 2026

  1. Report6 November 2026Fiskaa asks if Mine 7 plant can stay as heritageStortinget
  2. Report6 November 2026Council upholds refusal of 88 rooms for visiting workersLongyearbyen lokalstyre

October 2026

  1. Report28 October 2026Hotellneset power plant: streets dug up from 2028, plant ready in 2031Governor of Svalbard
  2. Report22 October 2026Huset marks 75 years since it opened in 1951Svalbard Museum on Facebook
  3. In full15 October 2026Choosing local architects in Nedre GruvedalenStore Norske
  4. In full12 October 2026Store Norske invites to public meeting on Hotellneset energy plantStore Norske
  5. In full6 October 2026Store Norske resumes work on new homes in Nedre GruvedalenStore Norske

September 2026

  1. In full24 September 2026The council periodically closes road 400 up to Gruve 7Longyearbyen lokalstyre
  2. In full4 September 2026LNS Spitsbergen won the tender for environmental projectsStore Norske

July 2026

  1. In full10 July 2026Saves 50 million on new environmental collaborationStore Norske
  2. In full3 July 2026Solar power plant now delivering electricity to Longyearbyen's power gridStore Norske

June 2026

  1. In full21 June 2026Start of foundation work postponed to spring 2027Store Norske

May 2026

  1. In full5 May 2026Store Norske marks the closure of Gruve 7Store Norske
  2. Summary4 May 2026End of Norwegian Mining on Svalbard as Norway's Last Coal Mine ClosesHigh North News

April 2026

  1. In full29 April 2026The Annual Report 2025Store Norske

Tags in this topic

Coal 13Mine 7 8Power plant 6Store Norske 31