Ammonia leak delays opening of ice rink at Sarpsborg Stadion
A minor ammonia leak from the freezing plant has delayed the opening of the artificial ice rink beside Sarpsborg Stadion. The plant has been shut down, and the painting of the rink has been postponed. The municipality says the delay depends on how quickly the repair can be completed.
What happened
Preparations for the new season on the artificial ice next to Sarpsborg Stadium were well under way. The aim was to have the rink ready for use this week. On Tuesday, a minor ammonia leak from the facility stopped that work.
The municipality says a small amount of ammonia escaped from a heat exchanger. The freezing plant has been switched off while the problem is dealt with.
Why the repair will take time
The heat exchanger has to be repaired before the plant can be used again. The municipality describes this as time-consuming work. The unit must be taken apart and cleaned by hand.
Crews had planned to start painting the rink on Tuesday. That job has been postponed, and so has the planned opening. The municipality has given no new date.
The length of the delay depends on how fast the repair can be done. "Fortunately, the weather forecasts look promising for the coming days, and we are ready to continue the work as soon as the fault is fixed and the freezing plant can be started again," said Tom Arne Isaksen, who is in charge of the stadium.
A winter tradition at the stadium
The artificial ice rink at Sarpsborg Stadion has been a popular attraction since Christmas 1985. Organised sport uses it, and so do skating children and adults from Sarpsborg and the neighbouring towns. Thousands visit every winter, and skating is free.
The breakdown comes as the football season moves into its final weeks. Sarpsborg 08 FF sit ninth in Eliteserien with 31 points after 25 matches, just ahead of KFUM Oslo on the same total. The club's schedule lists the next home league match for 22 November, when Lillestrøm visit at 19:15. Lillestrøm are fifth with 42 points. The municipality has not said whether the ice work will affect the stadium area on match days.
For now, the stadium team is waiting on the repair. The rink will open once the heat exchanger is fixed and the plant is running again.
Sources: sarpsborg.com, sarpsborg08.no
