Minister of Energy Terje Aasland visits the Port of Kristiansand

Industrial restructuring and development are happening very quickly, and the expectation is that the infrastructure is available, upgraded and ready. Port Director Atle Johannessen, Technical Director Harald J. Solvik and Communications Manager Isabelle-Louise Aabel highlight the infrastructure projects in the port and point out that new industries such as batteries, offshore wind, and other maritime industries require a developed infrastructure. ​ ​The ports are crucial for the logistics flow from overseas to short sea shipping and further to final distribution on the land side.

"The ports and Agder are strategically located as the link to Europe, this is where the government must focus. Cooperation between suppliers, the processing industry and the ports is important. When we talk about emission-free fuel, we believe that all types of different energy carriers will come in the future. Our challenges are that the new fuels make people insecure, we must jointly explain that the safety of the citizens is the most important thing, but we must also be efficient and produce more renewable energy," says Terje Aasland.

We must connect Norway more closely to the continent. Cooperation with other nations will also be crucial to securing Norwegian jobs in Norway. Southern Norway is the hub between Oslo and Stavanger where the E18 meets the E39. The ports and the sea route must be connected more closely to the main transport network on the land side so that we can maintain a good logistics flow that also ensures sustainable solutions for the future. 

It is important that we achieve good cooperation and at the same time have the framework conditions and predictability we need to develop further. The decision-making authorities are not in agreement, the government and the Storting commission new industry and businesses related to offshore wind, but it is the municipalities that will decide whether the port is allowed to expand. Furthermore, ports are not included in public budgets and must provide their own capital for other activities and shops, so we cannot pay dividends to owners. The port has a social responsibility to ensure the development of industry and business, says Atle Johannessen.

We need to show how much expertise already exists in Agder within the maritime industry, how important the ports are for business development and create enthusiasm around it, then we can make it happen, says Aasland. It is about thinking long-term, informing the population about the expertise and developments taking place in the maritime industry, and getting cooperation in Agder and the rest of Europe on renewable energy. The government will present the supplier report before the summer, which could be crucial for further development in the port.