Fuel Depot

The person responsible for a fuel depot has a statutory duty to store fuel in accordance with the requirements laid down in the Regulations relating to pollution and waste in Svalbard, Chapter 3. This also includes responsibility for obtaining any required permits pursuant to the Regulations well in advance of planned storage, and for complying with the conditions set out in any permit granted.

Anyone who stores fuel or other petroleum products is also responsible for preventing leaks and other accidents. Should spills, leaks or other incidents occur, these are regarded as pollution pursuant to section 65 of the  Svalbard Environmental Protection Act. The responsible party is obliged to carry out clean-up measures and remediate any damage, cf. section 93 of the same Act.  

Any spills or leaks shall be collected, and the waste shall be delivered to an approved waste reception facility. In the event of larger spills, please contact the Governor of Svalbard’s duty telephone: +47 79 02 12 22. In acute emergencies, call 110.

Fuel and other petroleum products shall be stored in a safe and proper manner on order to prevent any risk of leakage. You are responsible for ensuring that storage is carried out safely.  What constitutes safe and proper storage must be assessed on the basis of a case-specific assessment of the risks associated with the fuel depot.The risk of pollution associated with fuel depots is primarily linked to improper storage, accidents during deployment and retrieval, and, to some extent, during filling operations. Whether storage is considered safe and proper will depend on whether measures have been implemented to prevent the risk of pollution. Such measures may include securing the fuel depot, regular inspections, or other actions designed to prevent acute pollution.

Fuel and other petroleum products shall be stored in containers that are suitable and approved for the transport and storage of the relevant petroleum product. Containers shall be placed on a stable surface and secured to prevent tipping. They should also be placed on pallets or similar supports to raise them off the ground, thereby reducing the risk of corrosion and ensuring stability, and they should be strapped or otherwise secured to prevent tipping.

Containers shall be clearly labelled with contact information for the person responsible for the depot and protected from weather and wind. The condition of the depot should be assessed on a regular basis. To reduce the risk of fire, fuel depots should be located at least 10 metres from the nearest wall of a house or cabin, or from combustible materials.

It is prohibited to store petroleum products or hazardous chemicals in protected cultural heritage sites or within their protection zones without specific permission, cf. sections 42 and 44 of the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act. Such sites may include remains such as foundations and cabins.

More information about cultural heritage sites in Svalbard is available on our website here.

As a general rule, a permit from the Governor of Svalbard is required in order to store fuel or other petroleum products outside designated planning areas. This requirement is regulated in section 3 4, second paragraph, of the Regulations relating to pollution and waste in Svalbard

Storage shall be carried out in accordance with requirements relating to safe and proper storage, environmental risk assessment, mitigation measures and emergency preparedness.

Exceptions to the permit requirement for storage outside planning areas apply to:

• Storage in or near cottages outside of land-use planning areas of smaller amounts of petroleum products that are necessary for heating, transport, household use or maintenance, cf. section 3 4, third paragraph, of the aforementioned Regulations. The quantity shall be limited to what is necessary for normal use and maintenance of cabins. If you need to store fuel beyond this amount, you must obtain permission from the Governor of Svalbard. The storage must in any case meet the requirements for proper storage and necessary measures to prevent pollution.

Fuel depots with a capacity of 10 m³ or more, located outside planning areas, are considered to involve a significant environmental risk. This triggers additional requirements in order for storage to be permitted. Please refer to the Guidance to the Tank Regulations: Veiledning til tankforskriften (in Norwegian) for information on the requirements that are normally applicable for storing such volumes. Our application form may be used as a basis for the information required for assessment of the application. However, for storage of 10 m³ or more, documentation of at least the design and construction of the storage facility and an environmental risk assessment must also be submitted.

Fuel depots with a capacity of up to 10 m³ located within planning areas do not normally require a permit, provided that the storage complies with the requirements laid down in  section 3 2 or section 3 3 of the Regulations relating to pollution and waste in Svalbard.

Fuel depots with a capacity of less than 2 m³ located within planning areas are permitted without a specific permit, provided that:

• the storage occurs in a sound manner, and
• necessary measures to avoid pollution of the environment or harm to humans or fauna are implemented

Fuel depots with a capacity between 2 m³ and 10 m³ located within planning areas are permitted without a specific permit, provided that

• sound storage and environmental risk assessment, cf. section 3-5
• risk reducing measures, cf. section 3-6
• emergency preparedness and response system against acute pollution, cf. section 3-7

Fuel depots of 10 m³ or larger within planning areas require a permit from the Norwegian Environment Agency. You must contact the Norwegian Environment Agency regarding this.