Norway is embarking on a new course: in Monday’s elections, the Social Democrats defeated the Conservatives. After eight years, Prime Minister Erna Solberg (60) has to resign, the new head of government will probably be the Social Democratic party leader Jonas Gahr Støre (61) in a coalition with the Center Party and the Socialist Left Party.
This change of course will have an impact on the industrial and energy technology orientation of the country. If the conservative government approved new areas in the Arctic and the Barents Sea for oil drilling shortly before the corona pandemic, the extraction of fossil fuels is now likely to be restricted. This sector gives Norway great wealth and 200,000 jobs.
Halve production by 2030
Although demanded by the left, there will be no exit. Erik Førner (57), Norwegian ambassador in Bern, said on request to Blick: “There is probably more talk of the fact that the search for new incidents has stopped and the CO2Emissions are reduced. “
During the election campaign, Støre spoke of halving gas and oil production by 2030. His plans also include a tailor-made CO2-Tax: Motorists in the city should have to dig deeper into their pockets than people in the country who are dependent on individual traffic.
The Norwegians want to use the experience of the flagging gas and oil industry for the future. Erik Førner: “These competencies will also play an important role in the future in relation to renewable energies such as offshore wind turbines.”
Cooperation with Switzerland
Switzerland will also be affected by Norway’s new approach, namely with “Carbon Capture and Storage” (CSS). This means isolating and returning carbon dioxide, released when fossil fuels are burned, back to the earth. Førner: “CCS and hydrogen are central to achieving the international climate targets. There is currently cooperation with Switzerland in these areas. “
Norway is a paradoxical country when it comes to the environment. 98 percent of the energy demand comes from renewable energies, and more than 70 percent of the newly registered cars are electric. At the same time, Norway is also a major polluter. With a daily production of two million barrels (318 million liters) of oil, the country is the seventh largest gas producer and the 15th largest oil producer. In addition, the raw materials for the many rechargeable batteries are broken down, which has a major impact on the environment.