Longyearbyen – New Environmental Substation in Svalbard

At Hotellneset in Longyearbyen, Longyearbyen Local Authority is building a completely new, modern recycling station – a major step up for waste handling in one of the world’s most vulnerable and unique areas. The facility is designed for a 50-year horizon and will handle waste from 2,200 permanent residents as well as commercial and tourist waste.

Møre Trafo supplies a transformer and substation specially adapted to Arctic operating conditions. The substation is installed above ground level due to the permafrost and mounted on a custom frame with four legs – to ensure stable operation and protect the installation from snow, ice, and heavy drifting snow.

Infrastructure on Svalbard sets demands you don’t find anywhere else in Norway.

• Permafrost– you can’t build the substation on traditional foundations
• Arctic climate – extreme cold, wind and drifting snow demand special solutions
• Critical Community Function – the recycling station is a hub for the entire local community
• 50-Year Perspective – the facility must work for generations, without major reinvestments

Consto runs the project, with solid experience from Arctic conditions. Møre Trafo has long experience with deliveries to Svalbard, including for mining, critical infrastructure and avalanche protection projects.

Tailored for Svalbard’s Unique Demands

• Transformer Tailored for Arctic Climate
• Substation placed above ground level – custom frame with four legs
• Design that protects against permafrost, snow, ice and drifting snow
• Delivered to specifications from Møre Trafo’s own engineers

Møre Trafo has extensive experience with Svalbard – and among other things delivered a transformer to Gruve 7 in Longyearbyen when meltwater threatened operations and pumps had to run continuously through an exceptionally warm summer.

• Stable power for the new recycling station– tailored to Svalbard’s demands
• Future-proof infrastructuredesigned for the next 50 years
• More Reuse and Less Mainland Transport– sustainable operations in a vulnerable environment

The delivery confirms Møre Trafos position as a reliable supplier of customized solutions – even when the demands are extreme and reliability really counts.

Project facts