Svalbard Global Seed Vault: The perfect seed storage

 

“I am very happy with the progress of the construction work,” says project manager Grethe-Helene Evjen at the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

Grethe-Helene Evjen was appointed project manager for establishing the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. From her regular position as senior adviser with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, she has followed the planning process closely for the past 12 years. She was also the one to detonate the first explosive charge on 22 May this year, signifying the start of the construction work.

“The work is well under way and everything points towards the plant being ready for us to start cooling the vault in the beginning of November. Thus we expect everything to be ready to receive seeds from all over the world when the facility opens on 26 February next year,” says Evjen.

 

 
Project manager Grethe-Helene Evjen. Photo: Mari Tefre, Global Crop Diversity

 

From World Wildlife Fund (WWF), f.l. James P. Leape (Director General), Magnus Bredeli Tveiten, Johan A. van de Gronden (Chief Executive Officer) and dr. Neil T. M. Hamilton
Photo: Mari Tefre, Global Crop Diversity Trust