Six Senses Svart in Norway Goes Off-Grid with First Energy-Positive Project

With the increasing focus on sustainable and eco-conscious travel, northern Norway is one of the last frontiers for a self-sustainable, off-grid destination. Six Senses currently boasts 21 hotels in 17 countries, but its new Norway Six Senses Svart, is definitely worth paying special attention to. Scheduled to open in 2024 at the foot of the majestic Svartisen glacier within the Arctic circle, Six Senses Svart will be the first energy-positive hotel on the planet and is hoping to pave the way for a new standard of carbon-neutral travel.

CEO of Six Senses Neil Jacobs said in a statement –  “Sustainable properties call for extraordinary creativity, and Six Senses Svart takes us to a whole new level in terms of pushing boundaries. The concept has become bigger than the project itself, as it will provide a futuristic showcase for what can be achieved in terms of sustainability and energy solutions.”

Six Senses Svart will be an intimate affair with 94 room that  will be completely off-grid and carbon neutral. To minimise the on-site impact, Six Senses Svart is poised on poles above the crystal-clear waters of the Holandsfjorden fjord, at the base of the glacier itself.

The property’s design is inspired by the “fiskehjell” (an A-shaped wooden structure for drying fish) and the “rorbu” (a coastal fisherman’s cabin) Six Senses Svart will be constructed on poles, dissolving the boundary between land and fjord, ensuring minimal land impact and seabed disruption. The circular shape means it not only creates a feeling of openness but also provides them with the ability to collect energy from the roof and offer panoramic views and privacy with the expanded distance between rooms.

As a net-positive hotel, Six Senses is the first building to be designed and built after the highest energy-efficiency standard in the northern hemisphere. It will harvest enough solar energy to power not only the hotel, but all other adjacent operations including boat shuttle, and the energy needed to construct the building. Six Senses Svart will also be entirely self-sustaining, thanks to its own waste and water management, recycling, and renewable infrastructure along with adopting existing sustainable fishing and farming operations and working with like-minded suppliers for the restaurants and bars.

Jan-Gunnar Mathisen, CEO of the project’s owner and developer said “To enhance the vision of Svart, we have established a Net Zero Lab, a vehicle for developing and taking to market the technology created by us in a joint effort with Six Senses to reach the common goal for net-zero travel. This means the guest journey will have zero environmental impact from start to end.”

A zero-waste dining experience called The Marketplace will be the anchor, zero-waste dining venue, where the lines between food storage, prep, and dining are blurred to create an inviting and active environment. To be plastic-free, the hotel will filter and bottle its own drinking water as part of efforts towards sustainability.