The article sets the scene on the challenge of global warming with a comparison of emissions reduction in the EU and Norway. In 2022, emissions from EU countries were more than 30 per cent lower than in 1990. Last year, they succeeded in cutting yet another five per cent without any reduction in its standards of living. Norway has reduced its emissions by only five per cent in the last 30 years, and it is still the case that half of all the energy used in this country is derived from fossil sources. 

Speaking on this obstacle for Norway, EERA Vice-President and Executive Vice-President for Sustainability at SINTEF, Nils Røkke, notes that “if we are to reach our targets, we will have to make cuts of an additional 45 per cent and get this done within the next six years.’’ 

He further emphasises that it is essential to ‘‘utilise the technologies we have now, even if they’re not profitable in the short term.” 

Focusing on the potential of specific technologies, Røkke further discusses the need to incorporate carbon capture and storage (CCS) in attaining all upcoming targets. 

Moreover, EERA member and Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Professor Asgeir Tomasgard delves into the importance of consuming less energy and avoiding heat waste. 

“One of the most effective things we can do is to practice energy efficiency wherever possible, and this doesn’t have to mean reducing our living standards or being less happy in our lives,” -  Asgeir Tomasgard. 

He further explores current bottlenecks in the electricity grid, pointing to the significant amount of energy lost on its way to the consumers in Norway. To tackle this, the peak load in the distribution grid needs to be reduced to create more capacity. 

“Today, the distribution grid has developed into an energy bottleneck, but we have the technologies that can make the grid more flexible”, says Tomasgard. “We can also control electricity consumption related to everything from hot water tanks to EV charging, and by adopting consumption habits that enable us to use electricity when it is cheapest”. 

The article also highlights the two key smart neighbourhoods of Brattøra and Sluppen in Norway, funded by the EU project ‘+CityxChange’. According to the current Coordinator of EERA Joint Programme Smart Cities* and NTNU Professor Annemie Wyckmans, who has been heading the project, “cities and other built-up areas have the potential to play a much greater role in society’s transition in response to climate change.” 

However, on a broader scale, the roll-out of such developments across the entire country of Norway is at risk of being obstructed by Norwegian legislation. Current regulations require a licence for the sale and purchase of electricity. In Trondheim, politicians have been campaigning for many years to obtain a dispensation from these regulations, and have finally been given the green light. 

Finally, EERA Joint Programme Hydropower Coordinator Ole Gunnar Dahlhaug delves into the benefits of hydropower, which currently meets 87 per cent of Norway’s electricity requirements and accounts for about half of all its energy consumption. 

“Hydropower can adjust for the entire power balance existing between the clean energy sources in Norway,” - Ole Gunnar Dahlhaug. 

(*) Joint Programme Smart Cities held Joint Programme Coordinator elections in October 2024 and Sonia Giovinazzi will be taking this role from Annemie Wyckmans as of January 2024.