Never before has there been greater construction activity in Haugaland Business Park. Several large buildings are under construction around the park.
Several administrative buildings, factory facilities and transformer stations are currently under construction at various locations in the country's largest fully regulated industrial park.
Several substations
In January 2025, Statnett started construction work on the Gismarvik substation, which together with the new 420 kV power line from Blåfalli in Kvinnherad will provide a significant reinforcement of the power system in the region. The work is taking place on a fenced and developed station area of approximately 50 acres (50,000 square meters). The large buildings have already been erected, and Statnett expects a three to four year construction period for the substation, which is scheduled for completion in 2028.
– We have been working on groundworks and buildings until now and from the autumn it is planned that the installation work will begin, says Kari Eika, Senior Project Manager at Statnett.
Blåfalli-Gismarvik will initially operate at 300kV and area has already been set aside for future expansions to 420kV.
Statnett is also currently working on developing what they call a quay cut at Gismarvik Port. The quay cut will be used to drive transformers ashore.
In addition, the regional grid company Fagne will soon begin construction of a regional transformer station with a voltage level of 132 kV. It is expected to be completed at about the same time as Statnett's station.
Ølen Betong Gruppen with development plans
Ølen Betong opened its 3,000 square meter signal building at the entrance to Haugaland Business Park in March 2022. On the neighboring site, the company has a modern production facility for ready-mixed concrete, and together with the Stangeland Group, Ølen Betong Group has purchased all the plots in the upper area of the park.
– We have sold land – and are also holding onto some extra – for expansion for those who have already established themselves. In addition, we are considering setting up a new building in collaboration with others on the plot located at the end behind Vassbakk & Stol, says Svein Atle Berge.
Ølen Betong has also extracted large quantities of stone from the mountain on its sites.
– I expect we'll be completely finished with that in three or four. Then there will be less dust and noise from us, smiles Berge.
The outlines of the new head office
In August 2024, Risa moved into the new building next door to Ølen Betong, and now Vassbakk & Stol is in full swing building its new head office on the plot next door. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new building was held in November, and a lot has happened in the last six months.
– The building has definitely started to rise, both the workshop and the office, the outer walls are in place, and you can start to see the contours of what this will be like. The floors are in place in the office building, and now we are working on detailed design for how the offices will look, together with interior architects, says Bjørn Egil Apeland, information manager at Vassbakk & Stol.
There is one thing in particular that Apeland is looking forward to.
– What we are most looking forward to is upgrading our workshop facilities. It will be very good for us. Otherwise, I feel that we are on track. We have a dream of being able to move in by Easter next year, and in any case, we want to be in place before the summer. These are hectic days, but very fun to work with, says Apeland.
The new head office and workshop will be the workplace for nearly 100 employees of Vassbakk & Stol. The facility will consist of 2400 m² of office space spread over three floors, as well as 4600 m² of state-of-the-art workshop premises and a cold storage of 1300 m².
New factory rises
A few hundred meters further west in the park, Norcable is in full swing building a new factory.
– We started construction three weeks ago, about half of the building is up, the walls of the administration building are in place, and we are working on the roof structures. The building is now about 20% sealed. The last thing we will put in place is the factory hall itself. We will start next week by demolishing the temporary warehouse we have had standing, and are now designing the actual conditions in which the machines will be attached. Then we hope to be able to start assembling the machines over the summer. Some are now in the warehouse at GMC down by the harbor, while others are on their way. The goal is to move in in January, says Haugland.
The new factory will give the company much greater capacity, higher efficiency and a stronger foundation for further growth. Norcable currently has 33 employees, and after the first construction phase will be able to count up to 85 employees. With an option for additional areas in the business park, and after a possible second construction phase, it will be able to accommodate up to 120 employees.
It doesn't stop here.
General Manager of Haugaland Næringspark, Tiril Fjeld, is pleased with the large construction activity, and has good faith that it will not stop anytime soon.
– It is incredibly good to see that so many large establishments are now materializing, and there is hectic activity throughout the park. With Siva on the ownership side, we have gained capital and expertise to ensure faster preparation of plots and industrial infrastructure. We are in dialogue with several exciting players who want to establish themselves in the park, and I have good hope that more investment decisions will be made in the near future, says General Manager of Haugaland Næringspark, Tiril Fjeld.