Solar power plants don’t have to be located in places with an above-average number of sunny days, and this small plant is the northernmost in the world and proves it. It is located on the island of Svalbard, the largest island in the famous Norwegian archipelago Svalbard.
The new power plant will power the building of Radio Isfjord, a station founded in 1933. Originally it was just a radio station, and today it serves as a communication center and the main radio link between Svalbard and the mainland. It also includes a weather station and a hotel for tourists and explorers heading to the Arctic Circle.
The station is completely separated from the electricity grid, and was previously powered by oil. Thanks to renewable sources, it is estimated that emissions of harmful gases will be reduced by up to 70 percent in the future.
The power plant was built by the Norwegian national energy company Stor Norske Energy. It consists of independent solar panels and installation on the roof of the main building, and in addition to photovoltaic panels, energy storage batteries are also installed.
In this part of the planet, there are no sunny days at all for half a year, so diesel generators will continue to be an active source of energy at this location. The company is using the project as an experimental platform to test the efficiency of the hybrid system, which combines solar energy with classic sources such as coal and diesel.
Source: EuroNews