{
  "id": 15399935,
  "title": "Bedrifter om fossilforbud: – Risikosport",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/bedrifter-om-fossilforbud-risikosport",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-18T11:13:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "E24 Norway",
    "slug": "e24-norway",
    "url": "https://e24.no/energi-og-klima/i/oKlgpV/bedrifter-om-fossilforbud-risikosport"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Norwegian government has announced a ban on burning oil and gas for heating industrial processes starting in 2030. This regulation will affect companies like Vartdal Plastindustri and Gudbrandsdalens Uldvarefabrik. Vartdal Plastindustri invested 13 million kroner in water-to-water heat pumps in 2023 to halve their gas consumption. If they had known about the ban from 2030, they might have made different investment choices, according to Bjørn Krekke, director of Gudbrandsdalen Uldvarefabrikk. The 139-year-old family-owned woolen industry in Lillehammer produces textiles for furniture and a significant portion of Norwegian bunad fabric. While the investment enables the factory to reuse energy from production to heat new production water, some gas (propane) is still used to heat water for dyeing and heating indoor spaces. Vartdal Plastindustri seeks predictability in its business environment, as the abrupt new regulation puts them at a disadvantage compared to competitors in neighboring Sweden, Denmark, and farther away countries. Jan Endre Vartdal, the director of Vartdal Plastindustri, emphasizes that without viable alternatives, the new regulation could weaken their competitiveness. The company is currently exploring alternatives to fossil energy, such as heat exchangers, but there is no guarantee they will work as they have not been thoroughly tested yet. Implementing such a solution would require a 100 million kroner investment at their Vartdal factory, potentially totaling half a billion kroner across all their eight locations. This is financially unfeasible for the company. They might consider flue gas combustion in some locations, which could cost 60-70 million kroner per installation, but many of their locations are too small to justify such an investment. The director believes that experimenting with new technologies carries risks and may exceed the company's further development. Harald Solberg, a Norwegian industry leader, fears that many businesses will struggle to comply with the fossil fuel ban. He argues that Norway exports gas to the same purpose in foreign industries, making it unjust to ban its use domestically. The ban is expected to reduce 300,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year starting in 2030. Vartdal Ullvarefabrikken is unsure how to replace their gas usage and what it will cost. They do not feel prepared for the new requirements, which come on top of other challenges they have faced in recent years. The ban is expected to cut 300,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually starting in 2030.",
  "summary": "Et forbud mot å fyre fossilt treffer bedrifter som lager bunadsstoff og isolasjon.",
  "key_points": [
    "Norwegian government bans oil and gas heating for industrial processes starting 2030",
    "Vartdal Plastindustri invested in water-to-water heat pumps in 2023",
    "Ban threatens competitiveness against Swedish, Danish, and international competitors"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}