Wind Energy, Hoyanger | With nuclear power, Høyanger’s mayor pulled the plug

We recently got to read that Hydro He wants to develop wind energy on a large scale In the mountainous region between Høyanger and Sunnfjord. Høyanger Mayor Petter Sortland (AP) puts it in «One hell of a puzzle»Because he is one of the most prominent opponents of wind energy. But when Hydro promises to spend NOK 1 billion on a new climate-neutral aluminum pilot plant if they get wind power, the mayor faces a major dilemma. Contrary to the dilemma posed by his Sortland party colleague, Oil and Energy Minister Terry Asland, in a speech to ParliamentEveryone wants sufficient and cheap renewable electricity, but that is not possible without natural intervention.

Hydro, Eviny and Zephyr are now teaming up to investigate the development of 50 wind turbines. It will cost NOK 3-4 billion and save 1 TWh of annual electricity. According to Hydro Aluminium’s Head of Upstream Production, Ola Sæter, onshore wind power is a prerequisite to ensuring sufficient power for the Høyanger aluminum plant beyond 2030, although it is not clear to us why a wind farm would be the best option for operating a plant in which there is a stable power supply. An absolute prerequisite. A power source that does not depend on the weather is probably best because the absence of electricity can destroy an aluminum plant.

We know that central labor party negative for Nuclear energy, preferably used More nature. No wonder, then, that the Labor mayor is struggling. He lacks alternatives and thus ends up in a bind wearing very tight pants. It’s a shame when there really are alternatives. Comprehensive reports from both European Union And the United nations Obviously, nuclear energy is the safest source of energy and the best option for nature and climate, while waste can be handled safely.

Instead, industrial players will build dozens of large wind turbines with it Height up to 250 meters And planning an area of ​​22 square kilometers in Jostedalsbern district. In comparison, a standard small nuclear power plant, SMR, from, for example, GE Hitachi Just take the place Voshogan Campus, but it saves 2.5 times more electricity – continuously all year round. Construction costs will be greater, as will security of supplies, energy quantity and lifespan. In addition, the power plant can provide at least as much heat as electricity, which can be used, for example, to produce hydrogen. In terms of time, a nuclear power plant can be built within a ten-year period, corresponding to what can be expected for a wind farm.

According to Hydro, the wind energy project will help secure 180 or so jobs in the local community. A small nuclear power plant would do the same, but in addition hundreds of new ones would be built. According to a survey of International Monetary FundNuclear power provides more and better paid jobs than wind power, mainly domestically, while only nuclear power provides substantial and sustainable work beyond the construction phase.

In order to avoid an ‘infernal dilemma’, Labor Mayor Sortland is encouraged to investigate the possibility of a small, modern nuclear power plant, preferably in combination with moderate amounts of wind power, where natural interventions can be limited. This can be done in collaboration with Hydro, Eviny, and Zephyr. The income potential for these is great, while the region gets a lot of stable energy for its own consumption and for export to other parts of Westland Province.