Working in partnership with nature

How we work to protect nature and biodiversity in renewable energy projects.

At Å Energi, we aim to be a driving force for development that works in harmony with nature. As a developer of renewable energy and a steward of our shared natural resources for more than 100 years, we have a special responsibility.

That is why we have ambitious goals for resource utilization, management, and safeguarding biodiversity when building and operating our facilities.

Norway has committed to both climate and nature targets, internationally and nationally. To achieve these goals, we must transition to a society powered by renewable energy. This means building new green industries and producing more renewable power.

This creates several challenges related to how we use nature and land. The development of power plants and grid infrastructure will require new areas. At the same time, strict requirements apply to how these areas are used and impacted.

Some of our initiatives

Close collaboration and research-based measures over more than 50 years have strengthened the population of the critically endangered bleke salmon in Lake Byglandsfjorden.

With the help of underwater cameras and artificial intelligence, Å Energi will gain a valuable foundation for knowledge-based management of salmon in one of the most important salmon rivers in Southern Norway.

Over several years, Å Energi has implemented a range of measures to improve conditions for salmon in the River Nidelva in Agder. Preliminary measurements now show that the number of smolt has nearly tripled in a short period of time.

To ensure that Norway’s national bird, the white-throated dipper, continues to thrive when Å Energi’s newly built power plant at Frøytlandsfoss in Kvinesdal becomes operational, the country’s leading dipper expert has installed a specially designed nesting box on the dam.

To ensure that we protect nature in renewable projects, it is essential to develop a robust methodology for nature accounting.

Towards 2030, we will work to establish a quality-assured methodology that considers ecosystem area accounts, ecological condition, and ecosystem services.

Through pilot projects, we will implement nature accounting, gain experience, and further develop the methodology towards a gradual implementation of nature accounting in all projects by 2030.

Working in partnership with nature

Some of our initiatives

R&D projects

Offshore Wind: WINDREG

The Trilemma Project

Hydropower and Fish: Best Practice

Frequently asked questions about nature measures in power development

What does Å Energi do to safeguard nature and biodiversity in renewable projects?

What does the mitigation hierarchy mean in power development?

What is nature accounting, and how is it used at Å Energi?

How does Å Energi consider fish and aquatic life in regulated rivers?

How are local communities and stakeholders involved in the projects?