Statnett is working on a number of ways of coping with the tight energy situation that it faces this winter.

What the winter of 2009/2010 showed, amongst other things, was that the energy supplies to parts of Hordaland and Bergen were extremely vulnerable in cold and dry periods.

To safeguard power supplies until new permanent solutions are in place, a number of options have been considered, including looking into the possibility of using the Mongstad combined heat and power plant as a backup power plant.

The Mongstad combined heat and power plant was not designed to be a backup power station to start with, but as part of a comprehensive integrated process at Mongstad. This imposes limits on how the station can be operated. If the combined heat and power plant had been used to safeguard power supplies in the Bergen area, it would have been very expensive for technical reasons, and it would have also led to an increase in CO2 emissions. Statnett has therefore concluded that it would not be appropriate to use the Mongstad combined heat and power plant as a backup power station.

Statnett is continuing to work on other possible measures. Temperature upgrading of some major lines could provide an increase in transmission capacity into the area.

It has been agreed to reduce consumption in difficult situations, limits have been imposed on connecting new loads, emergency standby provisions have been increased, and information measures will be used if the operating situation becomes difficult during the winter.