– Øygarden has all the prerequisites for success

Seafood. Offshore wind. Minerals. Hydrogen. Battery. CO2 storage. Øygarden has all the prerequisites to take lead in the green transition. The municipality has now signed a new partnership agreement with GCE Ocean Technology which will help to realize their goals.

The community in Øygarden is in the process of planning for a green transition. In the not too distant future, the business community by the oceans will have to make a living from something other than oil and gas. Newly appointed municipal director Johnny Breivik is facing exciting times. He is in the middle of the restructuring process.

– If Øygarden is to succeed with the restructuring, the business community must be strategic and seize the opportunities, while simultaneously optimize daily operations. The transition to a green business community is not a switch you can turn on and off - it is a long restructuring process, but we have all the prerequisites for success. With GCE Ocean Technology on our team, we get access to networks, knowledge and experience within business development which is very valuable for the municipality and the business community in Øygarden. The cluster fills a role that no single company can handle alone, says Breivik.

The transition to a green future has already begun. A lot is happening, and Øygarden municipality started at the end of last year a project that, for the next two years, will work to support innovation for sustainable restructuring of the industry in the municipality. The project will contribute to the business community in Øygarden being able to create profitable business out of green energy and circular business models. Here, GCE Ocean Technology contributes with expertise, networks and knowledge to speed up the innovation processes.

Three major projects

Breivik points to three major projects that will be of crucial importance for the municipality to be able to succeed with the restructuring. The one that is already underway is the carbon capture project "Northern Lights".

The project will develop infrastructure to transport captured CO2 from selected industrial facilities, with ships to the reception terminal in Øygarden. From the terminal, the gas will be transported through a pipeline and pushed into a reservoir 2600 meters below the seabed, where it will be stored permanently.

- Northern Lights is a prime example of how we can utilize oil and gas technology to solve tomorrow's challenges. This is an international lighthouse project that can have enormous ripple effects for society and business. It will be just as exciting to see what side effects the project will have, and whether it is possible to create other businesses around the waste product, CO2, which will be stored, says Breivik.

A new traffic-connection for Sotra and the relocation of the container port from Bergen city center to Ågotnes are two other projects that will be crucial for speeding up the restructuring process.

Charting a new course

At the end of March, the municipal council adopts a new community plan that will chart the course for the development of Øygarden over the next 12 years. It is no surprise that a lot has to do with adjustments and innovation towards the "blue-green shift".

– We will chart the course that will bring the entire community of Øygarden strengthened through the restructuring process. The municipality's position as business-friendly and adaptable, as well as a facilitator of collaboration is one of many important points. We will use the experience from the oil and gas industry to create new business opportunities that this society can pursue in the future. Thus, networking and participation in various forums is important, and in that context the competence the GCE cluster represents is extremely important to take advantage of, ends Breivik.