Turnover picked up in 2021 with the end of Covid-19 lockdowns imposed in 2020. The trend continued in 2022, when turnover amounted to NOK 4.6 billion. Transport and storage, with 969 million NOK, had the highest proportion of turnover, while Arts, entertainment and recreation, with 94 per cent from the previous year, had the greatest percentage increase.
Slight increase in total man-years worked
The number of Full-time equivalents FTEs: In the industry statistics for Svalbard, 1687 hours corresponds to a full-time equivalent. The definition of a full-time equivalent is based on the total number of hours worked by employees in a workplace, both within and outside normal working hours. Short breaks are included, but time spent in transit between home and the workplace is not included worked went up by 2 per cent from 2021, which represents 30 man-years worked. The largest growth was in Accommodation, food and service, with 21 per cent, or 46 man-years worked.
Investment fell
Investment in Svalbard fell in 2022, after having risen continuously since 2018. Total investment dropped from 2021 by 37 per cent.
Several industries experienced big drops in investments in 2022. The biggest drop was in Accommodation, food and service, with 161 million NOK. Other service activities had the highest percentage decline, with 95 per cent, which constitutes a paltry sum of about 4 million NOK.
Considerable investment was made in Information, communication, financial and insurance activities, with about 178 million NOK.
Investment increased most in Real estate activities, where it rose from 23 million NOK to 151 million NOK, or by 547 per cent. The increase resulted from investment made in housing in Svalbard in 2022.
Coal sales slightly increased
Turnover for Store Norske Spitsbergen Grubekompani AS (SNSG) is a Norwegian, state-owned coal mining enterprise that has operated since 1916. was up from 146 million NOK in 2021 to approximately 150 million NOK in 2022. Coal sales went up to 110 000 tonnes in 2022, from 111 000 tonnes in 2021.
All coal is now produced in Gruve 7, the only mine in operation in Svalbard.
Considerable coal was sold to Europe in 2022, where it is used in manufacturing. Germany, with 54 000 tonnes in 2022, bought most. The corresponding figure for 2021 was 62 000 tonnes.