Trond Giske, Norway’s Minister of Trade and Industry, announced on 22 December 2011 to the board of directors of Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani that the Ministry of Trade and Industry has given the green light for the opening of a new coal mine at Lunckefjell. The announcement came as the Ministry of the Environment gave approvals for the project under the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act.

The last coal ship for the year left Svea on Monday morning with 80,000 tonnes on board. The coal will be unloaded in Esbjerg in Denmark and in Immingham in England.

Per Andersson (54) is appointed as new CEO at Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani AS. He will commence in the position on 1 January 2012.

Store Norske's annual report and accounts for 2010 is now available on our website. You will find it here: http://www.snsk.no/getfile.php/
1626411.1589.avabvxsaww/2010.pdf

M/V ”Tasman ID” was this years second – and last – coal vessel in Longyearbyen. Monday night the ship started its voyage towards Rotterdam with a coal cargo of close to 20 000 tonnes on board.

On Thursday 9 September 2010 the board of directors of Store Norske adopted the business plan for the new coal mine in Lunckefjell. The company will now submit an application to the Governor of Svalbard for permission to open the mine.

On Sunday April 4th, longwall production in the Svea Nord mine recommenced after the transfer.

- Everything has proceeded in accordance with our plans, and without any personal injuries, says mine manager Per Nilssen.

Monday, February 1st : The extraction of Panel D4 in Svea Nord will soon be finished. The large operation of dismantling and transferring the longwall is now to start.