Q&A

Øyfjellet Wind AS and our business partners will bring around 15 full-time posts to the local area during the operational phase and we will be long-term members of the local business community. The power purchasing agreement with the cornerstone industry, Alcoa, will additionally secure hundreds of Norwegian jobs.

Every year, we expect to contribute around NOK 35 million to the local community in the form of property tax, income tax, land rental payments, local contracts, sponsorship funds and more.

In Norway, we have every possibility of succeeding with the ‘green shift’, but then it will be important not to set one thing up against another. Hydroelectric power has been a mainstay of the Norwegian power system for generations. This is set to continue in the future, but now we need all the renewable energy we can get – wind, water and solar. NVE estimates the potential of upgrades and expansion of hydroelectric at 5.1 TWh. This development will be one of many important contributions to more renewable energy. Non-regulable wind power, moreover, is a perfect complement to regulable hydroelectric power.

Our vision is to be a green value creator, working hand-in-hand with the local community. Social responsibility is important to us and, in the coming years, we’ll be putting great efforts into both large and small projects to create value and positive activity in the local community.

We support reindeer herding and recognise its importance as both cultural heritage and as a business. Unfortunately, we have not yet managed to come to an agreement with the Jillen-Njaarke reindeer district but are willing to do our best to find viable solutions.

Access to more renewable energy is required for green industrial development and is crucial to halting the climate crisis. Hydroelectric power has been a mainstay of the Norwegian power system for generations. This is set to continue in the future, but now we need all the renewable energy we can get – wind, water and solar.

Renewable energy is crucial for halting the climate crisis.

Yes. In recent years, onshore wind power has evolved into a mature technology that is profitable without government subsidies. When Alcoa enters into a long-term power purchasing agreement with Øyfjellet, it is precisely because wind power has become competitive in terms of price.  

The wind park will open up access to the mountains for a whole new group of users who have not previously had the opportunity to make use of Øyfjellet and the surrounding areas.

Øyfjellet Wind AS is owned by a long-term investment fund managed by Aquila Capital. Aquila Capital is one of Europe’s foremost asset managers with focus on renewable energy and green logistics. Its aim in Norway is to promote growth, green industry and green employment through long-term investment in renewable energy. The investors are largely European investors and pension funds with an environmental profile. They manage funds from public employees and other groups that want a long-term, sustainable profile for their investments

The licenced area covers 40 km², around 2% of the municipality. The roads, turbines and buildings to be constructed are estimated to cover 2-3% of the licenced area. Concentration of the turbines means excellent utilisation of the area, and adjustments and improvements have continuously been made in line with feedback from the local community.

No. Alcoa, which is Mosjøen’s cornerstone industry, is to buy all the power produced for the first 15 years. Helgeland Kraft owns the main grid and is responsible for connecting the power transmission line to Marka substation by means of a 132 kV main breaker inside Marka substation. The construction contribution covers all expenses involved, therefore ensuring that the development of Øyfjellet Wind Park will not lead to increased grid rental costs for consumers in the area.

One of the licencing requirements is that we shall return the landscape to its original condition when the licencing period runs out. For this reason, we are building the installation in the least invasive way possible. Before starting the construction of turbine foundations, roads and crane pads, we stored electronic data that can be uploaded into diggers and which enables us to return the topography to very nearly the same state as before building started.

We rent the mountain areas and other areas affected by the wind park from national and local landowners who have got together to supply the cornerstone industry, Alcoa, with renewable electricity. The licence grants the rights to operate the Øyfjellet Wind Park for 25 years.

The wind park began as a local initiative, not least on account of the large-scale energy consumers located nearby. Here, local landowners and industry have joined together to harness natural resources on behalf of industrial development and social welfare. In 2014, the Municipality of Vefsn gave its support to the application. Following that, the project has been through a thorough licencing process with approval from the national authorities. In addition, an open democratic process over several years resulted in a large number of adjustments and improvements in response to suggestions from the local community.   

Helgeland Kraft owns the main grid and is responsible for connecting the power transmission line to Marka substation by means of a 132 kV main breaker inside Marka substation. The construction contribution covers all expenses involved, therefore ensuring that the development of Øyfjellet Wind Park will not lead to increased grid rental costs for consumers in the area.

The wind park is licenced for up to 400MW and an agreement has been signed with the aluminium producer, Alcoa – Mosjøen’s cornerstone industry –  to purchase all the energy produced for 15 years.

The climate crisis and the transition to renewable energy for the whole of society will create even greater needs for energy in the future. The aluminium producer, Alcoa, in Mosjøen, has agreed to purchase all the energy from the wind park for the next 15 years. This guarantees opportunities for growth and helps safeguard hundreds of Norwegian jobs. If industry is to be set up for the future, we must ensure the energy it uses is green.