About OneCo 2021
OneCo's services at the centre of the green shift
There is broad cross-party agreement that Norway should pursue an industrial policy that enables increased value creation through the green shift and electrification of society. This is clearly expressed in both the Solberg government's White Paper No. 13 and the Hurdal Declaration of the Støre government. Several major industrial initiatives are mentioned, such as battery factories, hydrogen production, data storage centres, electrification of the shelf, etc.
These are establishments that require large amounts of electrical energy. The electrification of car and ferry transport is also a stated policy that will be implemented shortly.
As a consequence of the industrial policy adopted and the locations chosen, combined with the electrification of the Norwegian continental shelf and the transport industry, investments will have to be made in both new production and transmission capacity.
OneCo's role and responsibility in the green shift
Increased focus on sustainability and a society that is increasingly emphasising the transition to renewable energy sources opens up a number of business opportunities for OneCo. We aim to capitalise on this opportunity by ensuring that our deliveries to the market are as climate-neutral as possible. In concrete terms, this means that we set the same standard requirements for our wholesalers and subcontractors.
Deployment of 5G infrastructure
The government has allocated NOK 560 million that can be used to develop fast broadband in rural areas in the period up to 2025, and NKOM is drawing a target picture of an alternative transmission grid by 2030. The transmission grid is the main route in the power system and connects producers and consumers in different parts of the country with each other. Billions will be spent on developing broadband with speeds of at least 100 megabits per second for households and businesses in rural areas. This is based on various subsidies and the telecoms operators' inherent competition for the market. The investments in 5G development and transmission networks enable the digitalisation of Norway and IoT: "the internet of things".
OneCo's contribution to the digitalisation of Norway
OneCo is well underway with the rollout of 5G, fixed networks and transmission networks. As a decentralised organisation, we are well positioned to contribute to the digitalisation of Norway. We are currently building for Telenor, Telia, Altibox and other smaller operators.
Electrification of transport
2021 was a record year for new car registrations in Norway. According to statistics from the Norwegian Road Traffic Information Centre (OFV), 176,276 new passenger cars were registered in Norway in 2021. Of these, 113,715 (64.5 %) were electric cars. If the pace of sales continues, there could be at least 500,000 electric cars in Norway by March.
Growth in the number of electric commercial vehicles
In addition, electric commercial vehicles are expected to grow as early as 2022. By 2022, there will be around 30 electric van models to choose from in the Norwegian market, compared with nine battery-electric van models in 2019. In 2021, 32,292 vans were registered in Norway, according to the Norwegian Road Traffic Information Centre. 17 % of these were electric, compared with only 8.5 % the year before. Increased permitted payload (compared to fossil-fuelled vans) and longer range are making electric commercial vehicles more relevant to more and more people.
In addition, increased efforts have been announced to increase the electrification of means of transport such as buses and ferries. In 2020 and 2021, OneCo completed several charging facilities for "heavy charging" and has built up solid expertise in this area.
Development of roads and railways
In the National Transport Plan 2022-2033, the government has emphasised developing a good transport system that provides freedom and opportunities for everyone, increases quality of life, contributes to value creation, protects and saves lives, and contributes to better health, environment and climate.
In addition to making major investments, the government will take care of the infrastructure we already have. Good maintenance is important to be able to maintain a reliable transport service and to be able to manage the community's resources in a good way. NOK 1.2 billion has been set aside for this work during the period.
Oneco contributes, among other things, with the use of Ceequal methodology for the implementation of sustainable infrastructure projects related to road and rail.
Power development
NVE, Statnett and Statkraft all emphasise the need for renewable power generation if we are to achieve our climate goals. Technological developments have meant that the lifetime cost, measured in terms of cost per unit of energy produced, has fallen drastically for renewable energy. Demand for fossil fuels will fall, and demand for renewable energy will increase. At the same time, the cost of developing renewable energy will fall. There will also be a great need to expand the infrastructure (power grid) that will distribute the electricity produced.
OneCo's role in power development
Energy efficiency in private homes and the distribution of consumption throughout the day are becoming more important factors in a modern power market in order to optimise both the production and transport costs of energy. In this area, too, OneCo contributes with system solutions that can optimise energy consumption for the individual consumer.
OneCo currently contributes to the construction and upgrading of power generation facilities. In addition, we offer services where we build and operate the power grid. This is a prerequisite for ensuring enough electricity with stable availability to the end customer.
Solar cells
From being very conservative in its projections for solar energy, the International Energy Agency (IEA) now envisages that solar energy will account for 80 % of the growth in energy production by 2030, going from an 8 % market share for electricity in 2019 to 30 % in 2030. IFE and Susoltech, together with the Solar Energy Cluster, have created a roadmap for the solar energy industry in Norway up to 2030. The purpose of such a roadmap is, among other things, to create a common picture of the potential and opportunities for solar energy in Norway. The roadmap estimates that the annual turnover for the installation of photovoltaic systems in Norway, solar parks, the process industry and floating solar power plants will together reach NOK 60-118 billion in 2030. In addition to this comes the turnover in the other parts of the industry.
We are also now seeing greater demand for system solutions that integrate solar, batteries and electric car charging. OneCo has built up solid expertise in this area, and has delivered several exciting projects in 2021.