Batteries – The Key to Both Green Transition and National Security

This was the main message when Battery Norway gathered industry, emergency preparedness experts, and researchers during Arendalsuka on Tuesday to discuss the role of batteries in Norway’s future.

Batteries as a Tool for Transition

-It’s about what the authorities must facilitate to enable Norway’s transition — we need a game changer, said Frode Hvattum from Skift.

Batteries for a Low-Emission Future

-Batteries are essential to achieve a low-emission society. We need them in the transport sector and across the energy chain. But battery production is also an energy-intensive process with chemicals that produce CO₂ emissions. LFP is the type of battery production we have in Norway, and it generates fewer emissions, he added.

Hvattum emphasized that although batteries contribute to the green transition, production must be carried out in a way that minimizes the environmental impact.

Preparedness Against Blackouts

Lars Lysdahl from Rystad Energy used a recent example to illustrate vulnerability:
-It’s naïve to think that a blackout cannot happen in Norway. Batteries can therefore serve as emergency preparedness, he said, referring to the power outage in Spain.

The panel discussed Norway’s preparedness, the risk of power outages, and access to raw materials for Norwegian battery production.

Security Policy Dimensions

-We are seeing a very destructive development internationally, with the use of military power and harm to other states. We must have national preparedness in Norway. It’s about being ready for crises, said Anders Romarheim from the Norwegian Defence University College.

-Batteries that are in daily operation cannot simply be deployed when a crisis occurs, he added.

Maria Moræus Hanssen, chair of Å Energi, raised a question many are asking:
-Should Norway engage in battery cell production? We want a developed industry in Norway, but at the same time, we have very cheap access to batteries from China.

The Entire Value Chain or Specialization?

Kristin Skofteland, chair of Battery Norway, highlighted the strategic value of the industry:
-We see that it contributes to building a competitive industry. We have chosen LFP chemistry. The question is whether we should pursue the entire value chain in Norway.

Moræus Hanssen followed up:
-The challenge is that someone must dare to make the investment decisions. When it comes to preparedness and defense, that is something we need to discuss. We must come together to make these strategic choices. We have to decide whether we will have a national battery production.

Bård Vegar Solhjell from Renewable Norway added:
-Operational solutions in the Armed Forces must prevail, but I sense that they are open to electrification.

Agreement on a Strategic Decision

In the end, the panel was unanimous: Norway must make a strategic decision about whether to build a comprehensive, national battery industry.
-We live in a time when energy solutions are also security solutions. Batteries are not just a technology – they are part of our national preparedness, the panel concluded from the stage.