For several years the lamps in Helgeland in Northern Norway have been flickering, now the steel companies are to blame – E24

For many years, there have been power outages in Helgeland in Nordland County, which means that there may be erratic light from the lamps.

Regulatory authority RME (part of NVE) believes that it is Celsa Reinforcement Steel’s operation in Mo i Rana that is the cause of the flicker.

In a preliminary assessment, RME states that the steelmaker must cover repair costs, in accordance with regulations on delivery quality.

These regulations establish that all actors must receive electricity of sufficient quality. Failure to do so can result in problems with electrical appliances.

The authority says nothing about what it will cost to fix the power quality.

Celsa confirms in an email to E24 that the company has received the notification from NVE about the case.

– We have received prior notice from NVE. This has been a process that has been going on for a few years. We will now carefully review the warning and make our assessments before responding to NVE, writes Celsa.

Special operation since 2001

Since 2001, the area’s network has been connected and operated in a special way to deal with the problems. The uneven power supply also limits the possibility for new large customers and manufacturers to connect to the grid.

This can be solved, for example, by installing equipment that equalizes the quality of power.

Now Celsa and the network players in the area will have a voice, before RME makes a decision. Any appeal against the decision is directed to the Energy Appeals Board.

Cost 20 million crowns

It has cost Statnett around NOK 20 million to regulate the network so that the problem is handled in the last five years. Helgeland Kraft Nett believes that the situation has led to network losses of NOK 14 million during this period.

– Today flickering leads to non-compliance with voltage quality requirements among end users in Helgeland, increases operating costs and is an obstacle to connecting new customers to larger networks in the area, says Torfinn Jonassen, section manager at RME.

– Statnett, as system administrator and party to the case, has asked RME to issue the necessary orders to ensure compliance with regulations on quality of delivery in the electrical system, he says.

When the flickering issue is resolved, you can connect to major new players. There are requests to connect a total of 150 megawatts (MW) of consumption in the area. In the long term, there may be 500 MW of new consumption and 500 MW of production in the area.