Green transition using oil and gas tech
Technologies from the oil and gas sector can be utilized in green industries. At the Center Court at ONS Energy Valley members HTS Dynamics and OBS Technology showed how.
HTS Dynamics and OBS Technology, together with five other companies, were selected to talk about specific measures they have taken to take part in this journey. The participants were given two minutes each to make their own “elevator pitch”, and show how to use technology and experiences from oil and gas in the green transition. It was a fast-paced session with lots of good atmosphere in the room, describes CEO of HTS Dynamics Ander Dahlgren.
“For us, this journey is about building the world’s first super-efficient sustainable smart factory for unmanned critical production in advanced materials with a net zero carbon emission. We are doing this so that fully automated smart production will be a prerequisite for reducing the cost level in the Norwegian supplier industry going forward, especially when we have to deliver to green markets with even greater margin pressure”, says Dahlgren and adds:
“In addition, new capacity needs to be built up if we are to be able to deliver on long-term contracts for oil and gas, which most of us will be doing for a long time to come. When you also combine this with low emissions and credible emissions plans for climate neutrality, it provides a competitive package solution that we feel hits well with both the market and society in general.”
– My dream is that the Norwegian supplier industry will have the world’s lowest emissions, which will ensure a competitive advantage for Norwegian companies in the international arena, says CEO of HTS Dynamics Anders Dahlgren.
Transferring old knowledge to new sustainable solutions
Earth’s resources are under pressure and do not last forever. The green shift will expose nature to major interventions with an environmental footprint. This was the backdrop for the session, where Innovation Norway, Offshore Norge, and ONS invited a panel to discuss how we can manage such activities in the best possible sustainable way while creating new opportunities and growth, as well as listen to the pitches from the eight companies.
Anders Dahlgren says that the key takeaways were that Norway now is building a new industrial adventure in Norway, and many have come a long way in offering new products and services already. ” At the same time, it is a little thought-provoking for those who have not taken the step into the green shift yet; your customers will demand something more from you in this journey than what you are used to before. The sooner you get started on this work, the better. A good start could be to join Energy Valley’s Net Zero Project, where opportunities and threats are jointly discussed in connection with the green shift and the low-emission society.” says Dahlgren.
Growing with the transition
CEO Bente Ottestad of OBS Technology talked about their journey from supplying standardized and customized regulators and associated products to the oil and gas industry, to being co-owners of the company Hyrex. Hyrex is an innovative Norwegian hydrogen technology company that started as a joint venture between OBS Technology, ZES, and Zenzor. Their vision is to offer electric drivetrains for pleasure boats and utility vessels where the weight and size of a sufficiently large battery pack are not economically or physically feasible.
“In the transition 2019/2020, we received a request if we could take on the task of building a hydrogen range system. We agreed to it, and along the way, the task has grown and OBS has ended up becoming a co-owner of a company that will not only supply hydrogen fuel cells but has also expanded its objectives and now also wants to offer entire boats that run on hydrogen” says Ottestad.
OBS’s main contribution going forward will be to deliver two different regulators that they now have developed and patented for Hyrex’s hydrogen system. “But in order to make it happen, in this case, we have extended far beyond our business area and have been involved from the start in building both the boat and the company Hyrex itself.” says Ottestad.
Dahlgren says that he received several exciting inquiries after his pitch “It’s always great fun to hear how other companies are navigating this landscape. In addition to hearing about new, smart, green technology, it is a privilege to talk about our own journey in the green shift “.