Norway's Longyearbyen Airport, officially known as Svalbard Lufthavn, has begun operating on biogas, with its new biogas plant commencing operation at noon on 13 January.
Running an airport in the High Arctic requires large amounts of energy, and until now Svalbard Lufthavn has been responsible for between 12 and 20 per cent of the total greenhouse gas emissions of Avinor, the state-owned company that owns and operates Norway’s airports.
Despite relatively low air traffic, the airport had gained a reputation as Avinor’s “versting” – a Norwegian term meaning the worst performer or “black sheep” in climate terms.
That status is now set to change. With the transition to biogas, the airport is expected to move from being one of the biggest emitters to one of the cleanest in its class. According to NRK, the airport’s net emissions are now almost zero.
The biogas plant is supported by wind power and photovoltaic solar panels.
While these renewable sources play a smaller role in the annual energy balance, they contribute to making the system more robust and sustainable.
As a result, the only remaining emissions associated with the airport’s operations come from transport.
Emissions from air traffic itself are not included in this calculation.
Longyearbyen Airport remains connected to the local power grid, which is currently supplied by a diesel-powered power station.
However, this connection is intended purely as a backup. In normal operation, the airport is expected to be self-sufficient in energy.
In the longer term, when Longyearbyen transitions to renewable electricity generation, the airport will be able to return to purchasing power from the grid.
Longyearbyen Airport switches to biogas
