{NODEs egen konferanse}

“We are completely dependent on clusters that bring together the environments we have in Norway, said Minister of Climate and Environment Andreas Bjelland Eriksen during the cluster gathering hosted by Energy Transition Norway and GCE Ocean Technology.

“We welcome the initiative. The government will discuss how we can contribute and further support it,” said Bjelland Eriksen.

A national supercluster would be built on the strengths of each individual regional cluster. It would bring together players in the offshore energy and ocean industries and aim to strengthen Norwegian competitiveness – both locally and internationally.

“A national supercluster for the energy transition isn’t just nice to have. It’s a necessity given today’s global context,” said Ståle Tungesvik, Equinor’s board representative at Energy Transition Norway (ETN).

Says Knut Mjåland, CEO of GCE NODE: “We have been invited to join, and it is something we will consider. We have already scheduled a workshop in Kristiansand in June with ETN and GCE Ocean Technology to understand the business model and opportunities this can present to our GCE NODE participants. The GCE NODE Board of Directors will be involved in the decision process.”

“We are taking meetings and participating in panel discussion to pitch our HyVARD project,” says Alice Leland Høye, Business Advisor at Kristiansand Municipality.

In April, a consortium of Norwegian and foreign businesses and stakeholders filed a comprehensive application to be named a European Hydrogen Valley. Partners in the HyVARD project include La Francaise De L’Energie, Greenstat, Å Energi, Umoe Advanced Composites, Vireon, GreenPort North, the Port of Kristiansand, GCE NODE, and more.

HyVARD aims to be a large-scale hydrogen valley in Agder that will drive the regional and European development of a clean transition model. Hydrogen production in Agder would be distributed to three hubs: a port, an airport, and a logistics center for heavy transport and trucks.

The project has a budget of NOK 2.1 billion, of which the EU is asked to contribute with NOK 240 million. A decision is expected in August.

“This is a huge opportunity for the hydrogen industry in Agder to take a giant leap forward. If supported by the EU, Norway could be firmly established on the European hydrogen map,” says Høye.

15,000 global industry experts are expected to attend the World Hydrogen Summit & Exhibition, which is considered the industry’s most influential event.

Among the participants in the Agder delegation are also Torstein Ekern from Greenstat and Isabelle-Louise Aabel from the Port of Kristiansand.

“The Norwegian Pavilion will be our base. We encourage people and businesses to find us there,” says Høye.

Faced with a sharp increase in the Norwegian CO2 tax in coming years, the intermunicipal waste-to-energy plant located just north of downtown Kristiansand plans to build a carbon capture facility to reduce emissions.

“In 2030, we expect it will be more costly to release CO2 than to capture CO2. Thus, from a financial perspective, it makes sense to invest in carbon capture. Also, it is impossible to reach national and global climate goals without carbon capture,” says Benedichte Limmesand Hellestøl, Project Director Carbon Capture at Returkraft.

An investment decision is expected in 2027. The carbon capture facility could be operational by 2030.
A year ago, Hellestøl gave a presentation of the carbon capture plans during another NODE Eyde Women (NEW) event.

“We were keen on learning more about the progress and how Returkraft specifically works with carbon capture and sustainable solutions, and which technology choices have been made. It is inspiring to see a regional energy company is taking an active role in global climate work,” says Veronica Aasbø Frøland, Chair of the NEW Board of Directors.

For more than ten years, NODE Eyde Women (NEW) has played a pivotal role in recruiting and supporting women in two heavily male dominated industries.

“Having networks for the women of the industries is still important, even though a lot has changed over the years. We need an arena for competence building, for inspiration, and for creating a professional community across disciplines, roles and gender,” says Frøland.