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Consumption of energy in the world is increasing. Oil and gas continue to be in high demand. Many countries are looking for alternative energy sources to secure energy supply and to satisfy environmental requirements. Consequently, oil and gas companies, as well as traditional energy companies, are turning their attention towards alternatives.

Norway is a major producer and exporter of oil and gas. Domestic energy supply has, up to now, largely been in the form of electricity produced by hydropower. However, the hydropower-generation capacity is almost fully utilised as demonstrated by the imbalance between demand and supply during the winter of 2002/2003, where shortage in supply led to very high electricity prices. Authorities are therefore providing incentives to develop and introduce new energy sources.

It is against this background that a project to establish an Energy Park (Energiparken) is being carried out in the Stavanger region on the western coast of Norway. This region is already a major centre for oil and gas activities and many companies have chosen this location for their head offices. Several intermunicipality efforts are being implemented to make the Stavanger region an even stronger energy region.

Energiparken is tailor-made for companies determined to develop and commercialise new technologies within energy and the environment. It is creating the foundation for interaction between the offshore petroleum industry and the land-based energy industry in a compact region with a large and competent workforce.

Industrial Symbiosis

Energiparken is a site where energy producers and energy consumers will be co-located and different economic sectors coupled around a common infrastructure. Such an industry cluster will create many synergy/symbiosis effects for the ‘inhabitants’, which will be directly visible on their bottom line.

Three strong owners

Energiparken was brought to life as part of an inter- municipality project in the Stavanger-region named the Arena for Regional Industry Development and Entrepreneurship (ARNE). Four municipalities and one county joined forces to develop new industry clusters in addition to the petroleum cluster, which is already very strong in the region. Two of the new clusters are the energy cluster and the food industry cluster. Energiparken is an important element in the energy cluster.

Three energy companies – Lyse Energi, Statoil and Norske Shell – decided at an early stage to join the project to develop an energy park. The company Energiparken was subsequently founded in November 2001.

The early part of the project focused on maturing the concept. It soon became apparent that ownership of a plot had to be secured because of the long-term horizon required for commercialisation of almost any new technology. Many property developers have shorter time horizons and different objectives.

A daughter company – Energiparken Eiendom – was consequently founded in 2002 with the purpose of financing and developing the property. A couple of areas were evaluated and it was finally decided to opt for an area at Risavika, the former site of the Sola Refinery, which was shut down by Norske Shell in 2000.

The former refinery site is being cleaned by Norske Shell in what is probably the largest environmental clean-up project of its kind in Europe. This impressive undertaking will return the area to a very clean state ready for new industrial activities.

Energiparken Eiendom subsequently purchased a 168,000m² plot in September 2003. The plot comprises both industrial areas totalling 116,000m² and the surrounding green area.

Figure 2: Aerial photograph of Risavika.
The area belonging to Energiparken is at the back of the picture.

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