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TURBINE FIRE: A thick black smoke comes from the plant in Melkøya. Photo: VG-tipser
It’s burning at the Equinor gas plant in Melkøya. The union delegate of the group describes the situation as dramatic.
– I see this as very dramatic, yes. There shouldn’t even be a spark in a gas plant, it’s life-threatening, group union steward Bjørn Asle Teige tells VG.
Teige says the plant has just started again after being shut down for four weeks for maintenance. She knows nothing more about what may be behind it.
– The photos there, nobody wants to see them. The open flames on that floor are almost unthinkable. If it escalates, it can go really bad. We can really hope it doesn’t happen.
Equinor communications chief Eskil Eriksen is also unable to say anything about the case at this time.
GROUP TRUSTEE: Bjørn Asle Teige at Equinor is Photo: VG
On Monday, all emergency services moved to Melkøya after reports of open flames at the island’s production facilities.
– It burns in a turbine at the plant and there are large amounts of oil connected to that turbine, so there is a risk of a major fire. So far, it hasn’t spread, Finnmark police operations manager Leo Johansen tells VG.
Equinor operates the facility on the island, and communications manager Eriksen tells VG that they have mobilized the emergency response team in Melkøya.
– They work with the emergency services to clarify the situation.
The group’s shop steward, Owe Ingemann Walterzøe, is also concerned by what he sees:
– Right now there’s a supply ship floating on four turbines. This means that the electrical system will then burn out quite strongly. When so many amounts of seawater are sprayed and used in electrical installations, a very long shutdown can be expected, Walterzøe tells VG.
He says that Equinor has good routines when something happens, and that Melkøya is a modern facility that is bound to catch fire like this.
He has spoken with employees who had to be evacuated, who are affected by the situation. There are still some employees who are part of the emergency group:
– I hardly dare to think about how those who are close now feel. A fire is always scary, even though we train a lot in those things, it is always associated with a certain danger in an effort.
Eriksen says there are no injuries as a result of this incident.
The police have implemented restrictions on the airspace around Melkøya, and a flight ban has been decided with a drone closer to Melkøya than five kilometers, police report on Twitter.
At 4:43 p.m., the fire service reports that it has control of much of the fire.
– But it is still burning, and we will have crews in place throughout the afternoon and night, they write.
