A new biogas plant has begun operation at Svalbard Airport, providing a fossil-free solution for both electricity and heating.

Utilising liquefied biogas (LBG) as its energy carrier, the modular energy plant has been designed to cover all of Svalbard Airport’s electricity and heating demands.

The facility is made up of three micro gas turbines for power generation, which are used in tandem with heat recovery and a biogast boiler for more efficient production of thermal energy for heating purposes.

Several energy efficiency measures have been utilised at the airport since 2016, including solar and wind energy – including for off-grid air navigation facilities.

This is a very important climate measure for Avinor. Based on figures from 2022, emissions from electricity and heating at Svalbard Airport accounted for around 20 per cent of Avinor’s total emissions. With this solution, we are taking a clear step in the right direction.

With its modular design; the biogas plant can be easily relocated, and is currently being viewed as a temporary solution that will provide shared experience and knowledge as part of a continued energy transition in Longyearbyen. After a year, the plant is scheduled to enter regular operation.

Design and construction of the combined heat and power plant was handled by Adigo Renewables in Ski, with major components supplied by Intergas AS in Risør. Further work was carried out by LNS Spitsbergen AS, JM Hansen AS and Assemblin AS.