NORWAY Trends and Developments Contributed by: Jøran Sandvik, Ida Mattsson Sperre and Aksel Tannum, Advokatfirmaet Haavind AS
Connections must remain operationally sound, and grid companies must notify the Norwegian Energy Regulatory Authority ( Reguleringsmyn- digheten for energi , or the NVE-RME) if that is not the case. The MoE has also initiated amendments to the NEM Regulation concerning operationally sound assessment and the ability to downgrade a grid customer’s maximum allowed withdrawal, under special circumstances, when the customer does not need the amount to be agreed upon in its entirety. The proposed amendment for operationally sound assessments aims to make it mandatory for grid companies to publish assessments, and to establish and publish their principles in an easily accessible manner. With regard to the legal basis for grid companies to downgrade a customer’s maximum allowed withdrawal, the proposed amendment states that grid compa- nies may downgrade only under special circum- stances, and when the customer cannot sub- stantiate the need for the full volume. New Technologies and Innovation Further digitalisation of the power sector Digital innovations in the power sector are con- sistently enhancing operational efficiency, sys- tem maintenance, power supply reliability and preparedness. The advancement of digitalisa- tion and the acquisition of higher-quality data not only refine the evidence base for investment decisions but also facilitate the automation of numerous decision-making processes. This shift necessitates the development of new regula- tions and business models, as well as adapta- tion on the part of customers. A prime exam- ple of this is the widespread implementation of smart metering, which has led to the installation
of new equipment in approximately 99% of all metering points across Norway. Hydrogen The Norwegian government is actively working in line with its national hydrogen strategy, which supports the development of new hydrogen technology and projects. To date, several hydro- gen production projects have been supported through the Hydrogen Hub Program under Eno- va, a state-owned enterprise supporting emis- sion reduction projects and technologies on the path towards meeting Norway’s climate goals. The aim is to support the development of hydro- gen production and distribution along the Nor- wegian coastal line to enable the maritime sector to use hydrogen as an alternative fuel. Norway is specifically looking at how to utilise hydrogen to cut the country’s second-largest emission producer, the transport sector. The aim is to halve the current emissions from the transport sector and maritime transport by 2030. Hydrogen will be an important factor in achieving this goal. Therefore, Enova also has programmes supporting investments in hydrogen and ammo- nia technologies and systems onboard maritime vessels, to enable demand to increase in parallel with production. Carbon capture and storage The government’s carbon capture and storage (CCS) efforts are still to a large extent focused around the “Longship” project. Longship is a full-scale CCS demonstration project. It encom- passes carbon capture from Norcem’s cement factory (400,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year) and from the waste incineration plant at Klemetsrud in Oslo, operated by Hafslund Celsio (350,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year). Further, Shell, Equinor and Total form part of the JV “Northern Lights”, who will deliver CO₂ transport and storage solu-
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