Norway’s electrified roadmap to a climate-neutral 2050
Published on: March 21, 2024
Norway has set its sights on becoming climate neutral by mid-century. The country is now embarking on a transformative journey to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels.
At the heart of this transition lies an ambitious plan to significantly expand its power production capabilities, paving the way for electrification and more sustainable energy practices.
“To achieve Norway’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, almost all fossil energy use must be transferred to the power grid, and new renewable power generation must be increased significantly,” says Anders Bostad, Regional Manager Energy Oslo & Head of Market Team Power Grid at Sweco Norway.

Modernising the grid
Norway expects a sharp increase in new renewable energy production and green industry in coming years. This follows a time when the sense of urgency around the climate crisis has grown throughout Norwegian society.
“Over the past year, we have seen a sharp increase in willingness to invest in renewable energy, energy efficiency and smarter energy use,” Bostad says. “The major players and owners in energy and industry are investing throughout this value chain and have a huge need for change in terms of business development, digitalisation, technology, sustainability and investment portfolio.”
To this end, Norwegian transmission system operator Statnett plans to invest twice as much in the country’s electric power grid over the next 10 years as it did over the previous decade.
The journey to a zero-emission target by 2050 will be supported by progressive enhancements over the years.
An updated transmission grid will support the comprehensive electrification of different sectors and provide essential infrastructure for green industries looking to establish themselves in Norway.
“This means increasing production, transmission and consumption from around 140 TWh/year now to upwards of 300 TWh/year in 2050,” Bostad says. “We are moving towards the power grid becoming our largest marketplace for energy.”
Relatively little new land use is required to double the grid’s transmission capacity as much of the reinvestment need is a result of the current system’s old age. Parallel to higher transmission capacity, the grid also needs to increase its utilisation through flexible production and digitalisation.
The ambition is that the measures will result in increased security of supply, increased capacity for connecting consumption and production and better transmission capacity between regions.
Sweco’s strategic framework agreements with Statnett
Sweco has been a major contributor to the development of Norway’s electric power system for more than a century. Particularly over the last decade, when Sweco has built an extensive experience with Statnett projects.
Back in november 2023, Sweco announced framework agreements with Statnett. The agreements are set for a four-year term with an option for extension. The agreements include project planning, engineering and project and construction management, with Sweco’s involvement expected to exceed 500 MSEK.
“Sweco has many years of experience in deliveries to Statnett, and has a strong and good customer relationship,” Bostad says. “We are among the most experienced consultants providing services to help Statnett implement their development projects. Sweco is unique in offering services across the full breadth of Statnett’s needs without being dependent on subcontractors or being part of consortia.”
About Statnett
Statnett is the transmission system operator in the Norwegian energy system and is a state enterprise owned by the Norwegian state through the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy. Statnett owns and operates the transmission grid and maintains the balance between consumption and production, providing citizens and industries with a reliable power supply.