Resuming work on the license application
Haugalandet Næringspark, Haugalandet Kraft Nett and Statnett signed a letter of intent yesterday, and Statnett is already in the process of entering into agreements with the relevant companies with a view to them eventually having to cover their shares of the investigation and construction costs of building such a power line. Statnett will shortly resume work on the license application for the planned new power line to Gismarvik. Haugalandet Kraft Nett, for its part, has been granted a license to build a 132 kV power line between Klovning and Haugaland Næringspark in Tysvær municipality. Unless the plans encounter unforeseen problems, from 2025-26 the power grid will have the capacity to deliver significantly more power to businesses in the region and for general supply.
-"This is an important step for the development of the region. Statnett will pave the way for an electric future, but it is also important that the development is well-balanced and in line with the plans for new power consumption in the area. The common understanding and the knowledge base we have now established gives us a good basis for moving forward with our plans," says Executive Vice President Håkon Borgen in Statnett.
Six months ago, Statnett put work on the new power line on hold. This was due to the fact that the need for the power line was closely related to Hydro's desire to expand its plant on Karmøy. Statnett's intention was to submit a license application for a new power line in the first quarter of 2019.
In January, however, it became clear that Hydro needs more time to mature the project for a possible expansion on Karmøy. Statnett therefore chose to postpone the license application for a new power line until further notice.
Need for capacity increase by 2026
This spring and summer, however, a survey was carried out of establishment and expansion plans in the regional business community. The survey was carried out by Haugaland Kraft Nett and suggests a need for a capacity increase of between 400 and 1300 MW by 2026. Current consumption in the same area, Haugalandet, is approximately 800 MW. This need is of a magnitude that will make it necessary to build a new power line to Haugalandet regardless of whether Hydro expands on Karmøy or not.
-"It is necessary to increase the supply to Haugaland Næringspark to facilitate the planned industrial development," says Olav Linga, CEO of Haugaland Kraft. The new power line will also contribute to improved security of supply in the region and facilitate future business development. "The new power line will lay the foundation for further growth and equip us for the future," concludes Olav Linga.