Hydro, Equinor and Panasonic plan to build a large battery factory in Norway. This project is called the Joint Battery Initiative.
Such a factory would produce a lithium ion battery, which belongs to the same category as electric cars. The goal of such a factory in Norway is to take a green step in the future.
Before Christmas, the company went out and asked the factory to apply if it wanted to say the municipality and regions were municipalities.
The factory comes with many jobs, and 82 municipalities applied.
In March, the list of 20 candidates spread across the country was shortened:
Only a few remain
The three companies do not go out of their way to say how many municipalities are currently in the process of acquiring the factory. They say they have received an email from the remaining 20 candidates stating whether they are still suitable.
- Facilitating business in the municipality is not always easy:
The Waylor Municipality in Wicken is on the way. Another municipal hammer that received a phone call that is still relevant today. They have seen the city of Hequin located in both Hammer and Lotan.
Swine Friedland, who is the business manager at the municipality, says this is good news.
– If we get the offer, it will definitely be a great opportunity for the Hammer region and the whole country.
They were also told that the factory in the city would end up overseas.
– But we sincerely believe that the Norwegian-owned company, with strong Norwegian interests, will choose the manufacturing city in Norway.
Opportunity for Tysvær and Haualandet Næringspark. Mayor Sigmund Lear (Labor Party) is very pleased with the news that came today.
– This is great news for us. Both for the municipality, but for the entire region. Hopefully, we hope to get to the top of this competition, he says.
The NRK has called for about 15 of the municipalities.
All municipalities can be defeated in battle
Now there will be a few corresponding layers that meet the criteria. Both Hydro and Equinor claim that Norway has such a factory.
– We believe there are many preconditions for closing in Norway. Anders Horland in Equine says we have access to renewable energy, skilled workers and a digitally mature country.
They are very pleased that so many municipalities have expressed interest. Nonetheless, they say no candidate in Norway is likely to win the race.
This is due to the trade agreement between Brexit and the European Union and the United Kingdom.
– They impose penalties on electric cars exported from the EU to the UK for cars with batteries manufactured in Norway. It requires car manufacturers to enter into contracts.
That’s the opinion of Rune Bruigard, who is in charge of the project at Hydro. Nevertheless, Harland in Equine says there is still hope for the Norwegian municipalities.
– We are at the beginning of the race ahead. If we want to end this, we have to rely on finding the rules of the game, he says.
- Balancing Norwegian and foreign interests is not always easy:
– Not what we expected
The now-rejected municipalities include Sandness, Elverme and Zwick Municipality.
Gjøvik Raufoss applied to the battery factory for the industrial park. They have also been notified that none of the alternatives they have registered have been selected.
Civind Hansebretton, who is the CEO of Rawfos Industrial Park, is our project leader for these projects in the Zjavik region.
– This is not the news we expect, he says.
He says they have learned a lot in the process and have not ruled out the possibility of setting up a battery factory in Raufas.
Odd Earling Lange in Elver Development says it’s awful to be out of their plans.
In Sandnas, they planned to add such a factory to the North Sea Energy Park. But the mayor says he understands they are not now.
– It’s sad that we are not involved, but we have full respect for the assessment they made. Mayor Stanley Virac says in Sandness (Labor) that we are looking for other possibilities to establish a battery factory or other businesses towards the future.
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