Svalbard Energi cuts CO₂ emissions in Longyearbyen by 45% after abandoning coal

Svalbard Energi, the company that produces and distributes electricity and district heating in Longyearbyen, has cut its CO₂ emissions by 45% over the past three years, Norwegian public broadcaster NRK reported on Tuesday. The reduction follows the move away from coal: power and heat are now produced with diesel in new generators at the town's power plant (Energiverket), and the calculation also includes shipping the fuel to the archipelago.

The figures. When the closure of the coal plant was decided in 2021, its emissions were estimated at about 83,000 tonnes of CO₂ a year and the diesel option at about 40,000 tonnes, according to the magazine Teknisk Ukeblad. Store Norske, which took over Svalbard Energi in January 2026, has installed more than 2,500 solar panels on six buildings in the town, with estimated output of about 570,000 kWh a year.

Context. The switch from coal to diesel has been criticised as a move “from fossil to fossil”. Torstein Sole-Gärtner, energy director at Svalbard Energi, described it to NRK as a first step in a broader transition and confirmed that the “coal to zero” target for 2030 will not be met. Store Norske chief executive Rune Midtgård said supplying Svalbard with 100% renewable energy is not realistic and that security of supply remains the priority.

What comes next. The next steps are wind power, solar power and a seawater heat pump, but tests are still needed: turbines must withstand icing, and permafrost complicates foundations for the panels. The Ministry of Energy is preparing an energy regulation for Svalbard, which received 22 responses in its consultation.

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