Fossil-free biogas plant at Svalbard Airport marks major step in Avinor’s decarbonisation drive

Credit: Avinor

A new biogas plant at Svalbard Airport (LYR), Longyear, enters operation on 12 January, providing a fossil-free solution for both electricity and heating. Using liquefied biogas as its energy carrier, the plant represents a major step in reducing emissions from Avinor’s own airport operations in the Arctic.

“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,” says Anders Kirsebom, Chair of the Board of Svalbard Airport Ltd.

“The energy plant is a key measure to reduce Avinor’s own climate emissions and demonstrates how the company takes an active role as a driver and facilitator of emission reductions – even under demanding Arctic conditions,” says Karianne Helland Strand, Executive Vice President for Sustainability and Infrastructure at Avinor.

The modular energy plant is designed to cover the airport’s entire demand for both electricity and heating. It includes three micro gas turbines for power generation, combined with heat recovery and a biogas boiler to ensure efficient thermal energy production.

“This effectively makes us self-sufficient with fossil-free energy. At the same time, we are building on many years of targeted work on energy efficiency, solar power and wind energy here at the airport,” says Ragnhild Kommisrud, Airport Manager at Svalbard Airport.

Aviation plays a vital role for settlement, emergency preparedness and business activity on Svalbard. “The trial operation of the biogas plant at Svalbard Airport shows how Avinor is reducing emissions from airport operations, even under challenging conditions,” says Minister of Transport Jon-Ivar Nygård.

Avinor considers the biogas plant a partly temporary solution. Its modular design allows it to be relocated when Longyearbyen’s main energy supply achieves a sufficient share of renewable energy. Until then, the airport will continue to reduce its own emissions as much as possible.

“When the main energy supply in Longyearbyen in the future has a sufficient share of renewable energy, it will be natural for us to connect to this and phase out the biogas plant. Until then, we take responsibility for reducing our own emissions as much as possible,” says Kommisrud.

The energy plant was delivered by Adigo Renewables, with Intergas AS supplying the vaporisation system. Local contractors supported construction, electrical installations and district heating piping. The opening marks the start of a learning and trial operation period of approximately one year before full operation begins.

“This project shows how Avinor takes responsibility for emission reductions both locally and globally,” says Helland Strand.

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