Upcoming Trade Shows in Norway for Energy

In the wake of the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, Norway emerged as the European Union's principal natural gas supplier, which positioned the country in a high-value, high-pressure role in the continent’s energy security specifically due to the numerous risk that come with responsibility of this caliber. Lukas Trakimavičius, an energy security expert from the Center for European Policy Analysis, warns of potential threats from hostile actors targeting Norway’s offshore gas infrastructure. The sheer size and remoteness of Norway’s subsea pipelines make it challenging to attribute and address such attacks, which exposes a significant vulnerability in Europe’s energy supply chain. It’s another reason why Norway’s energy industry has been allocating resources towards a full-on diversification of energy portfolio, with renewable energy sources standing to benefit the most. As of 2021, Norway has 64 wind farms with a total installed capacity of 4,649 MW. The year saw an addition of 706 MW of onshore wind power, which has contributed to the production of 11.8 TWh of electricity, meeting 8.5% of the country's energy needs. The successful increase in output has led to additional investments in expanding its wind energy infrastructure. However, the big player in Norway’s energy industry remains hydropower. As Europe’s largest producer of hydropower, Norway leverages its abundant natural water resources to generate nearly all of its electricity. In 2005, hydroelectric plants produced 136 TWh of the country’s total 137.8 TWh. Norway has also made strides to add solar power to its energy portfolio, though it still constitutes a smaller fraction of Norway's energy production, though there are plans for further expansion. In 2022, the country's solar capacity reached 321 MW. This translated to approximately 0.3 TWh of electricity annually. This growth, while modest, is another step towards decoupling Norway’s energy sector from its reliance on fossil fuels.