Net-zero project granted funding

Energy Valley’s net-zero project is moving ahead and was recently granted 700 000 in funding from Viken county municipality’s scheme for business development and innovation. The project will be launched as part of the CEO-Forum in February.

– It is gratifying that Viken county emphasizes both the importance of our industry for the region and for the financial support, says Managing Director of Energy Valley Preben Strøm.

The commitment from Viken states: “The application appears to be good and the project is considered to be an important contribution to the green transition and climate cuts from an important industry in Viken.” The cluster is obliged to provide the same amount of funding which makes up a total budget of 1,4 million for the first phase of the project.

Sharing insights

The joint net zero-project is for SMEs from the supplier industry, and the goal is to strengthen the competitiveness of the industry in the transition to the low- and net zero-emission society. Capgemini Invent is Energy Valley’s cooperating partner in this project and has developed the framework for the process. 

– We see that net-zero is an increasingly important topic on all CEOs’ agendas, as global net-zero targets are starting to impact all industries. However, setting an ambition is only the first step, understanding how to realize it in practice is the hard part. We believe the supplier industry really can benefit by collaborating to learn and find solutions together and look forward to being part of this journey, says director and energy transition lead in Capgemini Invent Sigurd Knapstad. 

– One of the most important strategic changes we are facing

In the preliminary project completed in autumn 2021, the companies Fosstech, Optime Subsea, HTS Dynamics, Celsia, Nebb, and FSubsea AS mapped out the need for this project.

– The green shift is one of the most important strategic changes we are facing, and we at HTS Dynamics are passionate about being part of the development here. By getting involved in the net-zero project, we get the opportunity to collaborate and share insights with other players in the project, and not least work with something as central and exciting as emission reduction in the supplier industry, says Anders Dahlgren, CEO of HTS Dynamics and adds:

– We have been working on this topic for a while in HTS Dynamics, and it was natural for us to share our experiences and join the project when the request came.

– I hope that the project will attract further interest in the clusters SMEs, and I am looking forward to presenting the project at the CEO Forum 1st of February, says Strøm.

– The global race towards net-zero is impacting the entire energy industry and brings huge business opportunities, and challenges with it. The service industry is affected by stronger regulations, reporting requirements, and the need for delivering actual emission cuts. By being proactive and one step ahead we can find solutions to these challenges, says Managing Director of Energy Valley Preben Strøm. Foto: Ilja Hendel.

Strengthening the competitiveness

– We also get involved to understand the needs of the market. Celsia makes measuring and scoring sustainability easier, faster, and more automated, and discussing the needs of companies makes us better able to solve the challenges in the best possible way, says the CEO of Celsia Petter Reistad.

The five companies unequivocally concluded that they need a project to adapt to the large customers’ reporting requirements and that such a project must be developed with the aim of increasing their competitiveness in the green industry individually and as part of the Norwegian supplier chain overall.

– Achieving carbon neutrality is our generation’s monumental challenge. At Celsia, we are extremely motivated to help take the world in the right direction, and we believe that collaboration is crucial to getting there, says Reistad.

Restructuring the supplier industry

The supplier industry in the region and nationally shall contribute to actual cuts in CO2 emissions in line with national and global goals and document this through their annual reporting, Strøm explains.

The project will restructure the Norwegian supplier industry in line with the large energy companies’ net-zero strategies, turning a CO2-intensive value chain into a competitive advantage for increased exports from Norway, as an energy nation, and the companies in the cluster.

– In the long term, the project will contribute to Norway and the world meeting its climate commitments and to Norway succeeding in the transition to green industry, says Strøm.

The project also has transfer value to industries other than the supplier industry, and there are plans to expand the project to become a national project for all Norwegian supplier industries.

Read more about the net-zero project here.

CEO of HTS Dynamics Anders Dahlgren.

– 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. Low, documentable emissions are good business, as it not only provides a future “license to operate”, but also better competitive conditions, says Anders Dahlgren, CEO of HTS Dynamics and adds: 

– If the project can speed up that work, it can help secure the new Norwegian industrial adventure and the transition to a zero-emission society. Here, there are endless possibilities that the project can help to realize, and I am sure that we have a brilliant starting point with the players on the team who have said they are willing to contribute to this. 

Finding solutions 

– The global race towards net-zero is impacting the entire energy industry and brings huge business opportunities and challenges with it. The service industry is affected by stronger regulations, reporting requirements, and the need for delivering actual emission cuts. By being proactive and one step ahead, we can find solutions to these challenges, says Strøm.

This is the topic at the next CEO Forum on the 1st of February, where the project will be launched. The project was to be officially launched at the Energy:Connected conference this December, but due to the new regional restrictions, the conference was postponed to this May.