Electricity sector in Norway
The electricity sector in Norway relies predominantly on hydroelectricity.[3][4] A significant share of the total electrical production is consumed by national industry.
Production and consumption
Average annual hydropower generation capacity in 2019 was around 131 TWh, about 95% of total electricity production.[5]
Of the total production in 2011 of 128
In 2016, the Norwegian government published a white paper regarding their future energy intentions through 2030. This announcement emphasized four main goals, which were improving security in the supply of their power, improving the efficiency of their renewables, making their energy more efficient, and more environment- and climate-sensitive, and fostering economic development and value through fiscally responsible and renewable technology.[8]
The annual electricity consumption was about 26-27 MWh per inhabitant during 2004-2009 when the European union (EU15) average in 2008 was 7.4 MWh. Norway’s consumption of electricity was over three times higher per person compared to the EU 15 average in 2008. The domestic electricity supply promotes use of electricity,[9] and it is the most common energy source for heating floors and hot water.
Electricity per person and by power source
Use | Production | Import | Imp./Exp. % | Fossil | Nuclear | Nuc. % | Other RE* | Bio+waste | Wind
|
Non RE use** | RE %* | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2004 | 26,601 | 24,096 | 2,505 | 9.4% | 105 | 0 | 0% | 23,893 | 98 | 2,610 | 90.2% | |
2005 | 27,297 | 29,894 | -2,597 | -9.5% | 108 | 0 | 0% | 29,701 | 84 | -2,488 | 109.1% | |
2006 | 27,349 | 29,490 | -2.141 | -7.8% | 167 | 0 | 0% | 29,195 | 128 | -1,974 | 107.2% | |
2008 | 27,398 | 30,355 | -2,957 | -10.8% | 151 | 0 | 0% | 30,130 | 74 | -2,806 | 110.2% | |
2009 | 25,691 | 27,549 | -1,858 | -7.2% | 919 | 0 | 0% | 26,388 | 63 | 209* | -969 | 103.8% |
2014 | 431[11] | |||||||||||
2015 | 484[11] | |||||||||||
* Other windpower until 2008 calculates the share of renewable energies in gross electrical consumption.
** Non RE use = use – production of renewable electricity RE % = (production of RE / use) * 100% Note: EU |
Transmission
External image | |
---|---|
Grid map of Scandinavia, 2020 |
Statnett is the transmission system operator in Norway, operating 11,000 km of high power lines.[12] There are plans to upgrade the western grid from 300 to 420 kV at a cost of 8 billion NOK,[13][14] partly to accommodate cables[15] to Germany[16] and England.[17]
Norway has an open electric market, integrated with the other Nordic countries over the
West of Oslo, there is a small single-phase AC power grid operated with 16.7 Hz frequency for power supply of electric railways.[21]
Price
In some years, a combination of high power prices in the market and less than usual rainfall renders the power system more vulnerable to power shortages. So far consumers in Norway have noted this by paying a higher price for electrical power during winter, however still a low price in international terms. Copious snow- and rain-fall in the mild winters of 2013-15 led to sharply lower prices, which was 26.7 øre per kWh in 2015.[22]
New connections to other countries could stabilize available power levels and reduce price swings, however as these areas are more expensive, average price may rise in Norway. Grid strengthening may cost a few billion kroner.[23]
Mode of production
Hydroelectricity
Part of the reason that so much of Norway’s electricity can be generated from hydropower is due to the natural advantage of its topography, with abundant steep valleys and rivers. Due to climate change, the region is currently experiencing heavier rainfall and is projected to receive more in the future, further increasing its capacity for hydropower.[29]
Wind power
Wind power capacity was at the end of 2019 2444 MW producing 5.5 TWh, an increase of about 780 MW (2.5 TWh) in 2019.[30]
In 2021, 64 wind farms had total installed wind power capacity of 4,649 MW with 706 MW of onshore power being added in 2021. Electricity produced in 2021 being 11.8 TWh or 8.5% of Norway's needs.[31]
Solar power
The national support for
Coal power
On the island of Svalbard about 0.108 TWh of electricity and heat is produced annually, in two coal fired power plants. The coal is mined on the island, where the surplus of coal (2/3 of production) is exported.
Other types
Norway has around 3 power plants burning natural gas, depending on how they are counted:
Statkraft experiments with osmosis at Tofte.[40][41]
Export/Import
Norway has imported up to 10% of its electricity production during 2004-2009.[10] According to IEA, in 2015, Norway exports about 15% of its electricity generation and imports about 5%, and the net electricity export was 14.645 TWh.[42] In 2021, exports were 24.7 TWh and imports 7.6 TWh, mostly from Sweden.[43]
Norway and Sweden's grids have long been connected across the
The North Sea Link HVDC Norway to Great Britain cable was opened in October 2021, while the Scotland–Norway interconnector NorthConnect is on hold due to Norwegian policy.
See also
Regional:
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Electricity". Statistics Norway. 2022-07-19. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
- ^ "Electricity, annual figures, 2012".
- ^ "Norway could be Europe's green battery". Retrieved 2017-09-04.
- ^ "Hydropower completes greening of Norway". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 2017-09-04.
- ^ "Vannkraftpotensialet". Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate. 10 December 2015. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ a b "Electricity, annual figures, 2011". ssb.no. 20 March 2013.
- ISSN 0809-9464.
- ^ Energy, Ministry of Petroleum and (2016-04-15). "White Paper on Norway's energy policy: Power for Change". Government.no. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
- ^ Energy in Sweden, Facts and figures, The Swedish Energy Agency, (in Swedish: Energiläget i siffror), Table: Specific electricity production per inhabitant with breakdown by power source (kWh/person), Source: IEA/OECD 2006 T23 Archived July 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, 2007 T25 Archived July 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, 2008 T26 Archived July 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, 2009 T25 Archived January 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine and 2010 T49 Archived October 16, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Norway numbers extracted from Energy in Sweden, Facts and figures, The Swedish Energy Agency, (in Swedish: Energiläget i siffror), Table: Specific electricity production per inhabitant with breakdown by power source (kWh/person), Source: IEA/OECD 2006 T23 Archived July 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, 2007 T25 Archived July 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, 2008 T26 Archived July 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, 2009 T25 Archived January 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine and 2010 T49 Archived October 16, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b "Annual Reports" (PDF). ieawind.org.[dead link]
- ^ "About us - Statnett". 6 February 2024.
- ^ "Vestre korridor - Projects - Statnett". Archived from the original on 2016-03-11. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
- ^ "Aurland-Sogndal". Statnett. 2020. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021.
- ^ "Oppstart av arbeid på Vestre korridor - Nettutvikling - Statnett". 9 February 2024.
- ^ "NORD.LINK - Projects - Statnett". 6 February 2024.
- ^ "Cable to the UK - Projects - Statnett". Archived from the original on 2014-10-30. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
- ^ Lie, Øyvind. "Nye utenlandskabler tvinger fram mer fleksibel kraftproduksjon" Teknisk Ukeblad, 22 January 2015. Accessed: 22 January 2015.
- ^ Nilsen, Jannicke. "«Nina» tok strømmen fra 170.000. Prisen for å sikre kraftnettet: 8 milliarder" Teknisk Ukeblad, 12 January 2015. Accessed: 12 January 2015.
- ^ Dalløkken, Per Erlien (21 January 2015). "Norsk selskap løste Renaults ladeproblem med oljeteknologi". tu.no. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
- ^ "Electric power supply system of railways in Norway". Archived from the original on 2013-04-18.
- ^ "Lower electricity prices in 2015". ssb.no. 25 February 2016.
- ^ Lie, Øyvind (6 June 2012). "Så mye dyrere blir strømmen av utenlandskabler". Teknisk Ukeblad. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
- ^ "Hydropower in Norway, page 15" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-01-12. Retrieved 2014-07-17.
- ^ Energy, Ministry of Petroleum and (2016-07-20). "The History of Norwegian Hydropower in 5 Minutes". Government.no. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
- ^ "Energy Policies of IEA Countries - Norway" (PDF). IEA. 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 13, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
- ^ "Hydropower generation in Europe 2016 | Statistic". Statista. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
- ^ "IEA Key Stats 2010" (PDF). iea.org.
- ^ "Norway | International Hydropower Association". www.hydropower.org. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
- ^ "Vindkraft - NVE".
- ^ "Wind Energy in Norway". Retrieved 17 August 2023.
- ^ Renewables Global Status Report: REN 21 Paris 13.5.2009 page 8
- ^ "Global Market Outlook for Photovoltaics 2014-2018" (PDF). www.epia.org. EPIA - European Photovoltaic Industry Association. p. 24. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 June 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
- ^ Holm, Øystein (2016). "Norwegian IEA PVPS Task 1 representative" (PDF). IEA. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
- ^ "Bright future for solar energy in the north". sciencenordic.com. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
- ^ "The solar revolution and what it can mean for Norway" (in Norwegian Bokmål). Norwegian Board of Technology. 2017-05-11. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
- ^ "Orkla sells Elkem to China National Bluestar". Archived from the original on July 10, 2011.
- ^ "Start page".
- ^ Lie, Øyvind (2014-10-03). "Taper 100 millioner i året - nå stenges Kårstø-kraftverket". Tu.no. Retrieved 2024-02-04.
- ^ "Statkraft vurderer pilotanlegg for saltkraft på Sunndalsøra - Statkraft". statkraft.no.
- ^ "Old Contains the Old Folder Structure" (PDF). statkraft.no.
- ^ IEA. "Norway: Electricity and Heat for 2015 Archived 2018-04-21 at the Wayback Machine" IEA, 2018. Accessed: 20 April 2018.
- ^ "Energy-Charts". energy-charts.info.
- ^ Bach, Paul-Frederik. "Bottlenecks in the Nordic Grids during the Storm “Urd”" page 3. 10 January 2017
- ^ Energy in Sweden 2010 page 81
- Danmarks Radio, 12 March 2015. Accessed: 13 March 2015.
- ^ Berlin, Oliver Moody. "Angela Merkel unveils €1.8bn NordLink green power line to Norway".
Further reading
- ISBN 92-64-10935-8. Archived from the originalon 2010-06-15. Retrieved 2010-10-11.