Statsministerens tale ved åpningen av Hydrovolt batterigjenvinningsanlegg

Sjekket mot fremføringen
 Talen startet på norsk og gikk over til engelsk

 

Kjære alle sammen,

Jeg vil begynne med noen ord på norsk, først. – Spesielt til alle dere som har vært med på å gjøre viktig industriarbeid og som nå er i fronten på å introdusere ny teknologi, nye løsninger, fordi dere har erfaring og kunnskap fra industri. – Det er utrolig viktig, og det viser at det går an.

Og jeg har jo alltid tenkt at veldig mye av løsningen på klimautfordringene ligger i industrien, for det er der kunnskapen om hvordan vi bruker naturressurser, kraft, kapital, kunnskap, ligger. Så, til alle dere som jobber her vil jeg si at det er en stor dag – for dere, også for Øra industriområde her, som jo er ledende i Norge og i verden på gjenvinning, og for Fredrikstad som går i front på å bli sirkulærøkonomibyen.

Til alle dere som jobber her: Tommel opp og takk for den innsatsen dere har nedlagt!

So, dear friends,

Hydrovolt is a company with foreign aspirations. We stand in Fredrikstad and we can really look ahead for something which is to be really, really big. I was impressed to see – at the floor here – and to get explained – how our batteries can be recycled and produce new value for future cars.

We are moving from a linear economy to a circular economy. These are not abstract issues. Well, they are abstract, but they are also very real. And if we want to understand how circular economy works, it is really to come here and watch.

We have to use these resources better.

We have to use them again.

And the values of materials have to be maximized and maintained for as long as possible.

And I think – this is touching on so many critical issues in our modern society. We have to reduce waste, dangerous waste. We should be able to reuse non-toxic materials. I think we are touching on what are the big global aspirations at United Nations climate and nature meetings: The world consumption of resources is the main source for the climate change process. And it is by intervening there, reducing emissions, recycling, that we can make a difference.

One of my most important points on climate is that Norway will deliver on its climate obligations according to the Paris Agreement. – Make no doubt about it. And if we succeed in doing that, we will do our share. Now, that share is not going to change the world. But the way we deliver on our goals may change the world.

And the fact that we were so early on electric vehicles, give us an opportunity to do things here that will matter far beyond Norway. That's why this meeting here today in Fredrikstad is a much larger interaction. – With the capacity, as I read, to recycle 12,000 tons of battery packs per year, this equals 25,000 EV batteries, as we just learned.

Here we see the first industrial line in the world, partially automated for disassembling and discharging EV and industrial batteries. These are complex words. You have to read them; they are new to me. But they are doable, as I can see.

So, we witness a perfect example of transition – that we take part in – and that, I think, should make us proud. It is really about building on what is existing.

As far as I understand, around 20 of you have been employees with Norsk Stål, and you move forward to take us into a new generation.

I would also like to highlight a few larger issues about this adventure at Hydrovolt, which are important:

First, it is the fact that we can lead because of the electric vehicles. I'm certain that Christina Bu will talk about that. She's been a pioneer on this in Norway. I learned, if I'm correct, that September was the first month where there were more electric vehicles on the road (in Norway) than non-electric vehicles, which is pointing where we are going. And 90 % of new car sales are electric, and that is really pointing the way.

We have, however, lacked the capacity to recycle in a sustainable way. And, therefore, Hydrovolt fits in as a piece in Norway's electrification of the transport sector. You may say it should have been there from the beginning, but now we really have the opportunity to move ahead. That was my first point.

My second point is this; metals used in battery productions are limited. We are reminded about that almost every day. So, at Hydrovolt, you are addressing one of these issues of not becoming too dependent on states far away who can control critical materials, which we may need because we can use them again.

You cut carbon footprint and enable sustainable long-term use of lithium battery technology.

And beyond that, and that is my third point, batteries will play an absolutely key role in the renewable transition. Imagine this, dear friends; 700 million people don't have access to electricity in the world. And if they are going to get electricity from renewable sources, then we will need large investments in batteries; this will need to go hand in hand with the renewable transition. There will be a need for many more batteries, and therefore much more efforts on recycling and having supply chains for the batteries.

Finally, critical raw materials are scarce resources. We may have a few in Norway. We should develop them, be they on the ocean bottom or be they on land. This is really about being responsible, not being too dependent on countries we should not depend too much on.

This is also, therefore, for me, a security policy dimension; being able to recycle, being able to get access to these materials, is also about security policy. In a world where China dominates many value chains, including green value chains, we should diverse.

And that's part of Norway's cooperation with the European Union, with the European Green Deal. After Japan, Norway was the second country to conclude a Green Alliance with the European Union. And on this issue, we are discussing battery technologies, recycling, partly based on Norway's electrical vehicle progress, to be something we can develop together.

So, dear friends,

We need to make sustainable solutions even more sustainable.

We need to reduce traditional mining.

We need to reduce the footprint on natural resources.

And we need to produce batteries with lower carbon footprint.

And more recycling needs to be part of that solution. – Even more green electric cars with materials recovered in Europe, that should be our vision.

I congratulate Fredrikstad, Øra, Norway's circular capital. We need to get – you know, I experience so many cities in Norway that would like to become a capital. And I think that's a good thing. – You know, Stavanger is the energy capital. Bergen is not very happy about that, so, well, Bergen is Bergen. But Fredrikstad should be proud of being a circular capital, where the green transition creates new opportunities for business, and I think we should all be proud of Øra Industrial Park.

And, my grandfather, who came from Fredrikstad and developed the iron industry, he would have been proud today if he saw me here, standing at the recycling, and precisely here where he was born, in Fredrikstad.

So, I congratulate all of you. This is a great day, and thank you for bringing us together.

Let me just say one more thing. These batteries come in here by car now. But eventually, as we develop Borg havn, there will be more batteries coming and leaving by ship. So that's another dimension which we have to do together.

Big congratulations to all of you who have invested in this, and in particular saluting the 20 pioneers who went from steel to recycling. You are the real heroes of the day. Thank you.