This week, Haugaland Næringspark invited to the gathering "The Future Takes Shape", with a focus on development and collaboration in the industry in Haugalandet.
The purpose of the conference was to provide a common picture of what is coming, what opportunities are opening up for existing industry, and how the interaction between tradition and innovation is driving industrial development forward in Haugalandet.
Managing Director of Haugaland Business Park, Tiril Fjeld, started the day by telling how Haugalandet is already a strong industrial region. The region and county are in the midst of a comprehensive restructuring, and have a number of new projects that build on solid industrial history and expertise. So what can Haugalandet contribute in a European context? Quite a lot!
Fjeld said that Haugaland Næringspark is in negotiations with several large international companies as the only location option in Norway. She highlighted Hydro and Eramet's significant deliveries of aluminum and manganese alloys as essential for European industry. In addition, Kårstø provides important energy for many millions of Europeans.
– There are many things that make Haugalandet attractive for international industrial establishments; the region's expertise, housing conditions, and access to abundant renewable energy. The new transformer station being built in the business park today by Statnett is absolutely crucial, both for new establishments and for development and new projects at existing industries, said Fjeld.
The day also began with the fantastic news that Siva is entering the ownership of Haugaland Næringspark through an investment of NOK 250 million. The mayors of the current five owner municipalities in Haugalandet signed the agreement at the conference together with Steinar Jørstad, Director of Ownership and Property at Siva.
– Haugalandet with completely unique opportunities
This is a big day for Siva, emphasized Jørstad.
– We spend a lot of time when we invest, because it's about prioritizing. We have a social mission that is to create sustainable industrial growth. In industrial parks, our task is to trigger faster development. We have therefore looked at which areas could make the biggest difference for Norway, and here Haugaland Næringspark stands out in particular, said Jørstad.
He emphasized the importance of the region having a number of heavy industrial players, high activity, a good number of subcontractors and high industrial expertise.
– There is investment appetite for an area that is also attractive in a European setting. We at Siva will trigger the pace, by contributing funds and expertise. This reduces uncertainty and risk, and will make it even easier to land industry and investments in Haugalandet, said Jørstad.
He believed that Haugaland Næringspark, with its maturity, access to power, deep-water quay, proximity to Europe, and a large, fully regulated area, is uniquely equipped.
– The power won't come until 2028, some think. In this context, that's actually already tomorrow, he emphasized.
Jørstad believed that good collaboration models will be crucial going forward.
– Haugalandet has come a long way here. Other parts of the country do not have the same cluster idea. This is important for Haugalandet if we are to succeed, but also extremely important for Norway, he concluded.
Access to clean power
Statnett 's project director for the construction of the transformer station in the business park, Kari Eika, updated the assembly on the status of the work that will increase power access to Haugalandet. The work is well on track, and the station will be in operation from the first half of 2028. The station is also dimensioned for a construction phase 2, for the transition to 420 kV and connection options for more direct customers. This is expected to be completed in 2031-2033. It will also be dimensioned to receive electricity from Utsira Nord.
Reduces and captures emissions
Norcable CEO Bengt Haugland spoke about their commitment to expanding the factory in Haugaland Næringspark. With aluminum cables from Hydro Karmøy, they produce power lines for Statnett and Fagne, thereby contributing significantly to emission reductions in power distribution. Norcable's goal is to quadruple its production capacity through further expansion in the business park.
COO of Horisont Energi (soon NOS Nova), Rune Halseid, spoke about the plans for Gismarvik CO 2 Hub, and how they have looked at different scenarios for transporting CO 2 volumes from the region's industrial players, by ship or in pipes to the terminal in Haugaland Næringspark for further storage in licensed reservoirs on the seabed. Information was also provided about the new ownership structure of the company with a new main owner in place. They are currently working on a minimum case to realize a solution for the first volumes.
Decarbonization of the smelter
Kåre Bjarte Bjelland is director of strategy and communications at Eramet Sauda . He spoke about the smelter's major decarbonization project. The company has already built its own energy recovery plant and is testing gas engines that will convert the CO gas from the factory stacks into electricity and heat. The hope is a decision for a full-scale CCS plant before 2030, with operations shortly thereafter. The challenge is that carbon capture is currently far too expensive, said Bjelland.
Hilde Sandvold Røsand is a unit manager at Hydro Karmøy , and explained how critical aluminum is for the green shift, that they have the world's most energy-efficient aluminum production at Håvik, and that they want to double this production capacity in the coming years. She also talked about the work on the new wire casting plant, and how the heat from the furnaces will be used to heat cold metal, in the same way that heated cooling water will be used to heat the buildings.
More gas in the coming years
Pål Rasmussen, head of external relations at Gassco, spoke about the importance of Haugalandet for the distribution of Norwegian gas to the continent. Equinor 's Arild Samuelsberg, head of the operations unit at Kårstø, spoke about how the gas capacity at the facility has increased fivefold since its start-up 40 years ago.
He also talked about how they are continuously working to reduce emissions and energy consumption, and are developing the plant for several more decades of operation. New discoveries in the North Sea will continue to be processed at Kårstø in the coming years.”
The important industrial collaborations
Business developer at Haugaland Næringspark, Bjarte Børtveit, is project manager for the collaborative project Industrial Symbiosis Haugalandet , in which several of the major industrial players in the region participate. Here, they have so far identified 21 possible symbioses, and in phase 2, which starts over the new year, they will look further at the regulatory aspects, as well as obtain increased knowledge about specific value streams. He also informed about the pilot Haugaland Næringspark is the owner of in the Green Shipping Program, the study will look at on-board capture of CO 2 on ships and how such volumes can be connected to the infrastructure for CO 2 handling in the region.
Karoline Sjøen Andersen is project manager for the CCS Haugalandet industrial collaboration, where they have collaborated to find cost-effective solutions for transporting CO 2 from industry in Rogaland. She presented a number of findings from the current phase, including that pipeline transport stands out as a cost-effective form of transport and that there will be major transport savings if an injection terminal is realized locally. Simulations of the viability of various CCS projects have also been made, which show a strong sensitivity related to framework conditions.
The key to success!
In conclusion, the CEO of Haugaland Vekst , Sigmund Lier, spoke about collaboration as the key to success. Collaboration in industry, with the maritime cluster, with HVL and academia. About the importance of grid reinforcement in Haugalandet, of offshore wind and of the Talent Collaboration that Haugaland Vekst leads on behalf of its owner municipalities.
The future is taking shape in Haugalandet!