To secure existing industrial jobs and to facilitate further industrial development and growth in Haugalandet, the region has worked purposefully for many years to secure increased access to power. Statnett submitted its license application in April 2020 and today the finaldecision camefrom the government.
- Among the most attractive locations in Europe
With a total of 5,000 acres, Haugaland Industrial Park is Norway's largest fully regulated industrial area. Haugaland Næringspark is a regional project with five municipal owners who have thought long-term and strategically about where the future power and area-intensive industry should be located.
- This is a happy day for Haugalandet! We've lost some great opportunities for industrial establishments in the wait, but with this in place, we're now among the most attractive locations for establishing new industry in Europe. The unpredictability of sufficient power supply over time has held us back, but now we can finally tick this box too," says Tiril Fjeld.
The business park is located in the heart of a strong industrial region, with a short distance to major industrial players, good transport infrastructure, and access to industrial expertise and knowledge through established educational institutions including international kindergartens and schools. With all other necessary infrastructure in place, including a deep-water quay and adapted infrastructure with access to water from three municipalities, the final piece fell into place with Statnett's license, which provides a long-awaited increase in available power in the grid.
- Foreign industrial players demand large areas and significant amounts of renewable energy. Few locations have this combination today. "The fact that Haugaland Business Park now has increased access to power is very good news that will significantly increase its competitiveness. This is not only of regional, but also national significance," says Gard Madsen, head of Invest in Norway.
- Important for the whole country
Haugalandet is one of the country's strongest industrial regions, and with enough power, all the prerequisites are in place, both for the necessary climate transition for existing players and for new green establishments.
- This will both secure and create exciting new jobs. In addition to providing more power, the license is also a prerequisite for the inclusion of new power production in our power grid, both from land and sea. The license will thus have positive ripple effects for the whole of Rogaland, Sunnhordaland and Western Norway with increased capacity and power flow in the grid. And when Western Norway is doing well, Norway is doing well," Fjeld points out.
- Important for the whole country
- This will both secure and create many exciting jobs in Haugalandet. When Statnett chooses to place its new transformer in the middle of Norway's largest regulated business park, it reinforces Haugalandet's position as an epicenter for green industrial development that Norway is dependent on in the years to come," Fjeld points out.
- "This is very good news for everyone in Haugalandet. There is a great need for more power throughout the region, and many people are waiting for and want the project to be realized," says Elisabeth Vike Vardheim, Executive Vice President for Grid in Statnett.
- The region is expecting a sharp increase in consumption in the years ahead. Haugalandet and Sunnhordaland have been identified as a national growth area for land and power-intensive industries. As one of the most important drivers of social and business development in the region, it is crucial that Blåfalli-Gismarvik is now being built to meet the need for more power and facilitate business development," says Pablo Barrera, CEO of Haugaland Kraft.
In addition to making more power available, the line is also a prerequisite for the intake of new power generation into our grid, both from land and sea, and for the next stage of grid upgrades.
- A new power line from Blåfalli to Gismarvik is a major measure that increases the capacity of the grid on Haugalandet. This project is part of stage two of five in our area plan for grid development for the Bergen region and Haugalandet. In stage one, we are upgrading our existing facilities. Stage two also includes the Karmøy substation, for which a license application has been submitted. When stage two is completed, the capacity of the grid will have increased by 500 MW. Gismarvik substation will also be one of several relevant points for connecting offshore wind power from Utsira Nord," says Vardheim.
- A new phase in the green shift
Haugaland Business Park has initiated industrial collaboration on both carbon capture and storage and industrial symbiosis. The projects focus on how the industry can work together to accelerate the green shift, through the establishment of joint cost-effective solutions and sharing of resources for increased circular economy and efficient energy management.
- The concession is important for the development of new green industry in Haugalandet and Horizon Energy's plans to establish a leading CO2 hub in Norway. "It's urgent to put in place the right projects that ensure emission cuts for both Europe and Norway, and the planned CO2 terminal in Haugaland Business Park will be able to receive up to 20-24 million tons of CO2 annually. This is equivalent to half of Norway's total annual emissions," says Bjørgulf Haukelidsæter Eidesen, CEO of Horizon Energy.
- Secure access to enough electricity in the years to come is crucial for us and our investors to secure our project. Our batteries are developed by Beyonder here in Norway, and have unique properties. These meet a large and growing need throughout Europe for both industry and power balance in the years to come. This brilliant and welcome news will be an important step in realizing the establishment of a large-scale battery factory in Haugaland Business Park that will also attract other relevant industry in the battery value chain to the same location, says Svein Kvernstuen CEO Beyonder.
- The business park is large enough to house, for example, a battery factory with associated value chain, large-scale production of blue hydrogen, CO2 terminal, green process industry and more. This enables synergies between the players in the park, and the region as a whole, such as industrial symbiosis and increased circular economy. "We currently have a significant amount of pre-regulated land available for new industrial establishments that can form part of this picture," says Fjeld.
