This is the first major consultancy contract we have chosen to initiate because we want to set a new standard for how large-scale industrial projects are carried out, says Dorte Solvang Project Manager in Norsk Industriutvikling.
Norsk Industriutvikling is planning the green industrial park in Orkland of almost 6,000 acres where sustainable industrial companies will be able to establish themselves. The company is now entering into a collaboration agreement with Norway’s leading institution for applied ecological research, the Institute for Natural Research (NINA), to ensure the best possible protection of nature- and climate impact.
Together with NINA, we will now, prior to the planning, carry out a very thorough mapping of the environment, says Dorte Solvang Project Manager in Norsk Industriutvikling. We will do mapping in all seasons, and the scope of the work is probably significantly greater than what is usual in such processes, Solvang explains. If the company succeeds, there is a potential for several thousand new jobs. In both the Norwegian and European contexts, the area has low electricity prices and unique proximity to power grids and power production sites.
This is the first major consultancy contract we have chosen to initiate because we want to set a new standard for how large-scale industrial projects are carried out with the least possible natural impact and strive for a climate positive target, says Solvang. The agreement initially has a total value of NOK 5 million, but there is an intention for strengthened cooperation as the industrial plans become more detailed. We will use both traditional and new mapping methods as a basis for a thorough climate accounting where both habitat types and ecological condition are included, says Astrid Skrindo from NINA.