© Store Norske
Cutting diesel use in Arctic towns
Testing out the power of solar energy in Svalbard, Norway
Spitsbergen, situated halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole on the windswept Svalbard archipelago, is in complete darkness from late October to mid-February each year. People living in this region depend on coal and diesel for their energy needs. But could solar power offer a green alternative?
Store Norske Energi, a state-owned energy company based in Longyearbyen, is testing whether solar energy could be used to transition Spitsbergen to emissions-free, hybrid energy. The company has installed 360 solar panels along with a battery bank and thermal storage system at Isfjord Radio, an old shipping radio station. MONS OLE SELLEVOLD is the renewable energy project manager for Store Norske. He talked to The Circle about the project and how it could help other remote Arctic communities make the shift to green energy.
© Basecamp Explorer Spitsberge
What is the aim of the project?
Isfjord Radio acts as a standalone miniature energy system. We are currently testing hybrid solutions there, including renewable energy production, energy storage and diesel generators. The project is divided into two parts. First, it aims to move the region away from its dependence on fossil fuels, particularly diesel, and reduce its CO2 emissions as much as technically and economically possible. Second, we want to use this opportunity to learn as much as we can about how to set up energy transition projects across the Arctic.
What are the main challenges involved in installing solar power this far north?
One of the biggest challenges was the location of the Isfjord Radio station itself: it’s located 110 km west of Longyearbyen and is not accessible by road. This means that in winter, everything needs to be transported by snowmobiles or snow groomers with sleighs. (Boats can only be used in the summer months.)
There were also some construction challenges. The foundations for the solar plant had to be cast in permafrost to avoid damaging the vulnerable tundra, and the work was carried out under challenging Arctic conditions. In addition, it had to be done with as little disruption as possible to wildlife and tourism. Because of the proximity to the Kapp Linné bird sanctuary, all the “noisy” work, such as drilling, had to be completed by mid-May, before the migrating birds arrived.
Why did you choose the Isfjord Radio station for the pilot project?
Store Norske owns Isfjord Radio, so it was easy for us to use this location. The station currently functions as a combined telecommunication station and hotel, so it needs to have a reliable energy supply all year. But it is also the perfect model for many other off-grid, remote locations in the Arctic, so it’s a very relevant place for a pilot project like this.
Isfjord Radio acts like a “living lab” for real Arctic conditions. We get to test technology in a harsh environment and at a location that isn’t always easy to access—so it gives us a chance to test challenging logistics, operations and maintenance. And we are able to remotely monitor and operate everything from our offices in Longyearbyen.
What has the outcome of the project been so far?
Before the energy transition project started, the station’s annual diesel consumption was around 180,000 litres. Just by installing the energy storage and implementing the smart hybrid control system, we were able to reduce the station’s annual diesel consumption by 30 per cent, or 55,000 litres. We completed the photovoltaics installation in late September 2023, just before the dark season began in Svalbard, so we don’t have any real results from that yet. But simulations show us that we should be able produce around 220,000 kWh of renewable energy, replacing another 55,000 litres of diesel each year. In total, this should result in a 60 percent reduction in diesel use.
© Store Norske
How is the power that you are generating being used?
Isfjord Radio functions as an important telecommunication hub for Svalbard and also as a hotel for tourists. Part of the hotel is heated thermally by circulating hot water in radiators. This heat is taken from the cooling water of the diesel generator sets, or gen-sets. The electricity produced in both the gen-sets and solar plant is used by the station and to charge the battery. When the battery is fully charged, the diesel gen-set turns off, and the battery system supplies the station with energy together with solar panels (when available) and the thermal storage. Because Isfjord Radio is an off-grid energy system, we don’t have the ability to feed power produced to a grid or other locations.
What are the next steps for this project?
Well, we are looking forward to the first full season of solar energy production. The sun will return around February 16, and then from mid-April to almost the end of August, we will have sunlight around the clock in Svalbard. It will be exciting to see how much energy we can produce then—and how well it will work together with the rest of the hybrid energy system.
But we also want to do something about the station’s diesel consumption during the dark season. We are looking at implementing wind energy production at Isfjord Radio too. Right now, we are developing the concept and making an application to build it in hopes of getting it up and running in 2025. With wind energy, we hope to be able to reduce the diesel consumption by another 30 percent. This would lead to an overall 90 percent reduction compared to before we started the solar project. Having close contact with the government and local authorities will be crucial to this process.
By testing and proving hybrid solutions at Isfjord Radio and elsewhere on Svalbard, and making these a “best practice” for Arctic energy transition, Store Norske Energi hopes to accelerate the introduction of renewable energy in other Arctic communities.
– Mons Olle Sellevold, renewable energy project manager, Store Norske
How will you use what you learn to support emissions-free hybrid energy production elsewhere in the Arctic?
In addition to the direct energy-related outcomes, we also have learned a lot about applying for, building and operating hybrid or renewable energy systems in the Arctic. We have identified 1,500 different off-grid research stations, settlements, towns, and so on in the Arctic, all of which are running on fossil fuels today. In the coming years, all of these will need to transition to another energy source—not only to reduce CO2 emissions, but to reduce the high costs of operating diesel-fuelled power plants. Locally produced renewable energy can be a solution for many of these locations.
By testing and proving hybrid solutions at Isfjord Radio and elsewhere on Svalbard, and making these a “best practice” for Arctic energy transition, Store Norske Energi hopes to accelerate the introduction of renewable energy in other Arctic communities.
By WWF Global Arctic Programme
