The two interconnectors to Denmark are approaching the end of their service life. It has been decided that they will not be replaced. Nevertheless, Statnett intends to spend NOK 130–160 million repairing one of them. The Centre Party (Sp) and the Red Party (Rødt) have reacted strongly, describing it as a provocative breach of promise. The Government blames Statnett, the state-owned enterprise responsible for owning, operating and constructing the stem power grid, but it is unlikely that Statnett would act contrary to the wishes of the ministry. The Government risks “losing” the Centre Party as a supporting party.

In September, the exemption from the four-kroner fuel tax expires. It has cost Stoltenberg NOK 6 billion. The Government wants to reinstate the tax. But the Centre Party does not, and there is now an emerging parliamentary majority in favour of extending the exemption. This is creating a more permanent rift between the Centre Party and the Government.

The state earned a net NOK 63 billion from oil and gas exports in June, yet apparently does not believe citizens deserve a four-kroner tax reduction.

Although the Government has promised not to replace the two Denmark interconnectors that are nearing the end of their service life, one of them is now to be repaired. The Centre Party and the Red Party have reacted.

– The estimated cost of repairing SK2 is NOK 130–160 million. The estimate is based on the assumption that a substantial part of the work consists of vessel hire with crew and equipment, says Anbjørg Bakken, press contact at Statnett, to Montel.

She says that, under the licence for the interconnectors, Statnett is required to operate them for as long as this is technically and economically justifiable.

Norway has four electricity interconnectors to Denmark with a combined capacity of 1.7 GW.

Two of them – SK1 and SK2 – reach the end of their technical service life in 2026 and 2027, and during the election campaign the Labour Party promised that they would not be replaced.

Now one of the interconnectors (SK2) has been damaged. After assessing the matter, Statnett and the Danish transmission system operator Energinet have decided to repair it, according to Montel.

Sp: – Excellent opportunity

This has prompted a reaction from the Centre Party’s Erling Sande.

– The Labour Party has told voters that it will not renew the electricity interconnectors to Denmark. It would be an extreme breach of promise if the Government now spends millions of kroner repairing and then renewing the very same interconnectors it has claimed it would scrap, he writes in an email to NTB.

He calls it “madness”.

– The Denmark interconnectors must not be renewed, and we now have an excellent opportunity to begin limiting electricity exports from Norway, Sande writes.

Aasland does not intervene

Sande has also commented on the matter to Montel. So has the Red Party’s Remi Sølvberg:

– If we were voting on this in the Storting, we would let this nearly 50-year-old interconnector die, says Sølvberg.

State Secretary Snorre Erichsen Skjevrak (Labour) responds on behalf of Minister of Energy Terje Aasland (Labour). He rejects the suggestion that they will intervene to halt the repair.

– The assessment of the damage to SK2 and what measures are appropriate for the interconnector are matters for Statnett to assess, he says. (NTB)

It may appear that the Government is preparing to defy the decision that the interconnectors are not to be renewed.