The decision to build one of Norway’s largest solar power plants on the northwestern coast of Norway was made in late 2023. The building process took almost exactly 6 months, and when the project was made public, it garnered quite a lot of attention as this part of Norway is not exactly known for its sunshine. The project was not initiated as a cost-saving measure but to secure energy production in a country where worries about energy access and rationing have grown more significant over the last few years. Moreover, it was also important for us to show social responsibility by “walking the walk” and producing our own green energy.
This investment will help to reduce the dependency of conventional energy sources, lighten the strain on the power grid, and increase the share from renewable energy sources.
“Brunvoll and our owners have a strong commitment to the communities in which we operate, and therefore also have clearly established sustainability strategy. Once again, we thank our owners for their trust in making these investments driven not by a financial perspective but by a genuine desire to contribute to greener business operations,” says Group CEO Kåre Øyvind Vassdal.
“It is also a concern for us that we do not know whether we will have enough energy access in three to five years to grow as much as we plan to. I fear power rationing, which would mean we are unable to produce as much as we need since we are an industry that requires a lot of power and has all production in Møre og Romsdal,” Vassdal adds.
One year later, we can confidently say that the solar power plant has been a success story. Six months after installation was completed, the panels had produced 1 million kWh. Brunvoll used 73% of the energy; the rest was sold to the local public power grid.
“We have a lot of power-intensive production and therefore choose to secure parts of the electricity we need in the future. That means taking social responsibility”, says Vassdal.
The company’s production of its own power also contributes to additional power supply in its home district. In total, Brunvoll’s yearly solar energy production will be equal to the electricity required to run about 70 private homes.
“Brunvoll’s solar panels contribute to the county’s overall electricity production, a sector in which this district significantly lags behind. The coming years look very challenging energy-wise, so everyone needs to contribute. We hope other companies and public entities will see what we are doing, take inspiration from us, and take the leap,” Vassdal continues.
BlueTec AS delivered and installed the solar power plant system, while the local electrical company HTL Elektro AS made the connection to the existing electrical infrastructure.
