Mongstad in Nordhordland is perhaps best known for the large oil refinery, which is located in the municipalities of Alver and Austrheim. Now the area can get a wind power plant with five turbines inside the industrial area. The turbines can be 250 meters high. – Need renewable electricity Project manager Einar Vaage in Greenspot Mongstad says it is very early in the process. – But we hope to get the go-ahead from the two municipalities towards the end of the year, and that we can then start the process of applying for a license with NVE. He does not want to speculate on what time the facility could possibly be completed, and emphasizes that they must take their time in order to have an open and good process. – The green shift needs renewable electricity. Instead of untouched nature, we can use “completely destroyed nature”, i.e. nature that has all been used for industry, says Vaage. EARLY IN THE PROCESS: These are the first sketches of how the five turbines can be placed on the site. Illustration: Asset Byout Partner Onshore wind is disputed In a normal year, around 155 terawatt hours (TWh) of electric power is now produced in Norway. The Energy Commission concluded in February that the country needs at least 40 TWh more power by 2030. They point to wind power as one of the vegans to the target. But several onshore wind projects have been highly controversial, including at Fosen in Trøndelag and Bremanger in Vestland. Wind turbines are controversial, among other things, because they make noise, they are visible, they encroach on untouched nature, and there can be conflicts with reindeer herding. There is so far no concrete image of what the turbines will look like. They must be able to deliver 30 megawatts together. Photo: Hans-Olav Landsverk Positive local politicians – I think we can rally around this, says mayor Per Lerøy (Ap) in Austrheim municipality. He emphasizes that they have not discussed it in the party yet, but he is basically positive, partly because no more than five turbines are planned. – Lack of power is a huge problem, asserts Lerøy. Mayor Sara Sekkingstad (Sp) in the neighboring municipality of Alver says the board has been briefed on the plans. – As I interpret the chairmanship, we are interested in finding out more about the project. I have not registered anyone who is clearly negative. It is an opportunity to gain more power. But of course it depends on the location and height of the turbines, says the Alver mayor. She adds that the politicians in the municipality are crystal clear opponents when it comes to wind power on the mountain, but that Mongstad can be assessed because it is an industrial area. news has asked all the parties in the two municipalities what they think about wind turbines in Mongstad, and the answer lies in the electoral register for each municipality. Most major parties have answered that they “somewhat agree” or “completely agree”. It is mostly small parties that have answered “completely disagree”. MDG supports development Even the Green Party (MDG), which is strongly opposed to large wind projects in the mountains, for example in Årdal, stands behind the project at Mongstad. They have answered “totally agree” in the valomat for Elver. – We are opening up for some onshore wind power, for example in an industrial area like Mongstad, says the first candidate for Vestland MDG, Nils-Anders Nøttseter. The national party says on its website that it supports wind power in industrial areas. – All areas must be assessed specifically, but here there is an exciting potential, write the party. Mongstad north of Bergen is known, among other things, for a large oil refinery located in the industrial area. Photo: Marit Hommedal / NTB Naturvernforbundet says no But even if many are positive, among others the Nordhordland Nature Conservation Association is against wind power development at Mongstad. – In our local team, we have laid down in the work program that we are against all industrial wind power on land, said local team leader Jan Nordø to the newspaper Nordhordland earlier this year. He points out, among other things, that the development will have consequences for neighbors and the use of the surrounding area, both noise and that the turbines will be visible. Nordø confirms to news that they stand on the same position today. Neighbours: – Concerned about the noise situation Fonne’s district association, which represents many of those who live near Mongstad, wrote in a statement to news that they are concerned about the noise situation. They emphasize that any establishment must take place at a long distance from areas that already have houses, and not come into conflict with new residential areas that are being planned. – A possible establishment of wind turbines in the Mongstad area must not impair the living conditions in nearby residential areas, writes the leader of the rural association, Øystein Austrheim. NVE informs news that they know of no other wind power plants in this country that can be directly compared to the one outlined at Mongstad.
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– Completely destroyed nature – news Vestland
