– Companies have the right to expect this – E24

The energy crisis and its consequences are the biggest concern for Norwegian companies in the short and long term, says NHO CEO Ole Erik Almlid.

– The company cannot solve this on its own. Al-Maleed says there is a responsibility for the authorities.

– Statnett says that in 2026-2027 we will have an energy shortage in Norway. Therefore, more renewable energy has to be built very quickly, and it has to be tremendously more massive than anyone can imagine.

The NHO chief calls for a plan and believes Norwegian companies “have a right to expect” the authorities to take action.

– If we don’t… Al-Maleed says before he has to take a break to cough.

He warns that companies may disappear

Because, in parallel with the struggle for power, he is waging a personal battle against the clock, where he sits almost without a sound.

In less than a day, he will gather more business leaders NHO Annual Conference. From the stand at the Oslo Spektrum on Thursday, his main message will be precisely this urgent call.

– If I can talk then, says Al-Maleed, after I hurl another throat lozenge.

– Yes, because if you don’t …?

– Then we lose jobs, and you get such high electricity bills that companies can disappear outside the country, warns the head of the NHO.

– the government We have a plan To develop more wind power on land and develop offshore wind?

– We are happy with the government’s plan. We now hope that the aspirations will provide a basis for broad settlements in Parliament, and that they will be translated into concrete plans and operational projects as soon as possible, says Al-Maleed.

I think production should be brought back home

Another major concern for Norwegian companies, according to Al-Maleed, is ensuring control over their value chains.

The world has become more volatile, polarized, and regionalized. Then we must ensure that we have access to value chains and distribution links. We have to make sure we have the experience and the minerals, he says, pointing to, among other things A message from one of the main attractions of the annual conference, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.

– Al-Maleed says: Maybe we should take more production in a place closer to us.

Consulting firm KPMG also believes that we will see a shift from what has long been in the business world “just in time” production, to what is called “just in case” production.

KPMG was given speaking time in the opening minutes of the annual conference, titled “Turbulence.”

There, the consulting firm will paint a somewhat bleak picture of the future and present its analyzes of what it believes are the drivers of the unrest, based on a report read by E24.

It will not promote EU membership

The advisory firm, which includes major trade players in its client list, believes it is now seeing the fall of globalization and writes in the report that “more than anything else, it is the energy crisis that has shattered the notion that trade brings countries together.”

You have just spoken about the importance of trade and cooperation for Norway. What do you think about what KPMG writes here?

You can now see that freedom is antithetical to free trade. I don’t think it’s either or, but both. Active trade between countries is very important to ensure increased prosperity, but also having good relationships makes the threshold for attack higher. But then, everyone’s desire for free trade is not motivated and they have other political motives, and we have to take that into account, says Al-Maleed.

KPMG believes that EU membership could be a viable path for Norway, and does not rule out submitting an application. Do you NHO think the same?

– We will not raise this issue as an issue of particular importance in connection with the annual conference, because we see no basis for doing so. But I think it’s right that you need to look at it over time, says Al Muleed.