Green drilling in the deep blue

Green drilling
in the
deep blue
inside >>>
HYDRO INSIDE The global magazine for
Hydro employees – no. 3 – 2007
And the
winner is…
> 6-7
Closure in
Bécancour
> 14-17
Keeping
information
secure
> 26-29
Aid pays off
around the
world
> 34-35

there!
I would like to thank the many competent,
committed managers and employees of our
magnesium plant in Bécancour, Canada,
which began the process in March of shutting
down production after 20 years in
business.
Despite their best efforts running one of
the most advanced magnesium plants in
the world, they could not compete with lowcost
suppliers in Asia. They are preparing
for closure and preparing themselves for a
new future with our help. You can read more
about the employees at Bécancour in this
issue. Join me in wishing them the best of
luck in this challenging time.
As we all know, we’ve already found the
“easy oil.” To meet the demands of an increasingly
energy-hungry world, we need
to look in more challenging places than
ever before.
Sometimes the challenges are merely
technical, while at other times the challenges
can be political or environmental.
Or even all intro threetext combined. body copy intro text
The Nucula bodyexploration copy intro well text in the body Barents T
copy
Sea off the
intro
coast
text
of northern
body copy
Norway
intro
is
text
a
case in point. We proceeded, taking into
body copy intro text body copy.
consideration the concerns many had for
Body copy Body copy Body copy Body
this environmentally sensitive area.
copy Body copy Body copy Body copy Body
Hydro’s superior exploration skills and
technology copy Body leadership copy Bodycontributed copy Bodyto copy a suc- Body
cessful copy Body completion copy Body of the copy drilling Body project. copy Body
While copy Body it is still copy too Body early to copy determine Body copy whether Body
the copy find Body is commercial, copy Bodywe copy areBody encouraged copy Body
by copy theBody preliminary copy Body finds. copy Body copy Body
copy TheBody Nucula copy drilling Bodywas copy a success Body copy in Body
many copy Body respects copy – because Body copy weBody foundcopy what
we were looking for and because we did
so without harming the Arctic environment.
The operation represents an environmental
profile that we have reason to be
hi! > writer
proud of. Congratulations to all involved.
photos > photographer
contents
4-5
Safety, not uncertainty. Even if you haven’t had an accident
recently – or maybe especially if you haven’t – you’ve got to keep
an eye on safety.
6-7
Two-time winner. For Hydro Polymers in Aycliffe, winning the
President’s Safety Award for the second time is a stepping stone,
not a pedestal.
8-12
Green drilling in the deep blue. The Nucula drilling project
in the Barents Sea represents the very best in environmentally
sound exploration.
14-17
Emotional closure. Employees reluctantly say goodbye
at magnesium plant in Canada.
18-23
Water and light. When Hydro’s oil and gas activities join the
new StatoilHydro company as planned later this year, the hydropower
operations now part of Oil & Energy will remain in Hydro.
24-25
Operators show way at Acro. They say improvement
starts with the one looking in the mirror. A team of operators at
Hydro’s precision tubing facility in Brazil is doing just that – and
performance is improving.
26-29
Have you lost something? Do you treat information as a
valuable item? You should.
30-31
Another breakthrough oil and gas rig. A “slug rig” enables
researchers on dry land to mimic conditions offshore.
32-33
Boosting casthouse performance – big time. Aluminium’s
Reference Center helps solve casthouse problems and improve
ways of working.
34-35
It helps to help. Hydro’s centenary contribution to voluntary organizations
is being put to good use in many places around the world.
36-37
A good life in aluminium.
38-39
Postcard from Honningsvåg
hi&lo 13 hi5 40

hi!> team
Editor-in-chief > Cecile Ditlev-Simonsen
Managing Editor > Craig Johnson (craig.johnson@hydro.com)
Editorial board > Halvor Molland (Aluminium Metal),
6 8 14
26
32
next issue
June 2007
Ideas? Contact:
Craig Johnson
Hydro (F472B)
NO-0240 Oslo,
Norway
craig.johnson@
hydro.com
contents hi! 3
Ole Johan Sagafos (Aluminium Products), Bjørn Otto Sverdrup
(Oil & Energy), Ragnvald Bertheussen (Other Businesses).
Design and production > item ltd and Media Center (3700160)
Photo: Samfoto/Bård Løken
Hydro demonstrates
that
exploring for
oil and gas is
compatible with
environmental
protection.

Safety,
not uncertainty
Even if you haven’t
had an accident
recently – or maybe
especially if you
haven’t – you’ve
got to keep an eye
on safety

Head of safety Gerhard Salzmann, second from right, and safety team members inspect the packing department.
From left, Lorenz Zech, Christan Suppan, Daniele Drexel, Brunhilde Beck, and Christof Konzett.
“T
he toughest job for a safety man-
ager is when accidents don’t
happen, because it’s difficult to
remain vigilant,” says safety manager
Gerhard Salzmann at Hydro’s Nenzing
extrusion plant.
“The fewer the near-misses, the greater the
need for actions and commitment when it comes
to health, environment and safety,” is how Salz-
mann puts it. Because it is too late to wait until
something goes wrong.
The Hydro company in Austria’s Vorarlberg
region has led the field in many areas; produc-
tivity, efficiency, safety and profitability are attri-
butes frequently applied to Hydro’s very first
extrusion plant.
Since June 2004 Nenzing has been orga-
nizationally linked with the extrusion plant in
Bellenberg in Germany, a collaboration often
referred to as Austria Nenzing Bellenberg (ANB).
For safety manager Gerhard Salzmann
it’s a question of using creativity to identify
measures designed to keep the concentration
of his colleagues firmly focused on safety. The
employees already know that there is a distinct
connection between a high degree of safety
and profitable operations.
A dedicated team for work-related safety
has been set up. The team, which has been
given a special course of training, carries out
scheduled tours of inspection in the plant. In
addition, monthly safety meetings are held
with the operators. A number of other actions
are also implemented. Measures that are par-
ticularly effective are when the employees
illustrate dangerous situations with pictures
they have taken themselves, or pass on safety
advice directly to their colleagues.
“We believe that communication between
colleagues is generally more effective than
that which is initiated centrally. For its safety
campaigns ANB has therefore adopted the
slogan ‘We focus on safety and not uncertainty,’
because at the end of the day people’s behavior
can only be changed by influencing it in a
positive direction,” says Salzmann.
An extrusion plant is a workplace where
dangers can arise. All of Hydro’s extrusion
group employees were reminded of this when
they heard the tragic news of the fatal accident
at Birtley, in the UK:
“That particular incident affected us deeply.
Many of us here felt its impact much more
than previously. This may mean that we have
developed a greater sense of belonging with
our colleagues throughout the group, but it is
also because we know that safety is something
we cannot take for granted. Accidents can also
occur in plants that implement safety measures
in a continuous manner.”
Both the Nenzing and Bellenberg plants have
been thoroughly drilled in safety routines, rules
and standards: “We are proud to belong to the
elite in Austria and Germany when it comes to
safety at work,” says Salzmann.
He refers to what a Norwegian colleague
stated after two years at the plant: “Nenzing is far
advanced because they do things so thoroughly.
They leave as little as possible to chance. The
company’s employees are very capable and a lot
is invested in their further training. Whether it’s a
case of safety, productivity or quality, success is
a key feature of this organization.”
Andre Fey, who is responsible for health,
safety and environment in Extrusion Europe con-
firms that Nenzing plays a leading role when it
comes to safety:
“Characteristic of the plant are its highly
motivated employees who demonstrate a
solid team spirit, working together closely and
systematically, not least in periods of hectic
activity. In addition, they are good at identifying
new ways of working and they show a lot of
inventiveness when it comes to safety work.”
hi! > Dag Sunnanå
photos > Terje S. Knudsen
The company’s employees are very capable
and a lot is invested in their further training.
Whether it’s a case of safety, productivity
or quality, success is a key feature of this
organization.
Gerhard Salzmann
safety first hi! 5
Fire in Sunndal
A fire started in the extrusion
ingot casthouse in Sunndal,
Norway, early on 13 April. No
one was injured, but production
in both casthouses was
halted for four hours. The fire
started in a hydraulic hose
and spread to the roof. Local
fire-fighting service and the
plant’s own crews faced an
extensive task in extinguishing
the fire. A commission
of inquiry was appointed
immediately to determine
the cause of the fire.
Gas leak on Heimdal
A gas leak was detected
from a ventilation pipe on the
Heimdal platform on 6 April.
The situation was quickly
clarified and normalized. The
emergency preparedness
organization was mobilized
and a routine shutdown of
production took place. There
were no injuries.
Fire strikes Oseberg
Oil and gas exports from
the Oseberg Field Center
resumed shortly after a
turbine breakdown and fire in
late March. The Oseberg Field
Center has several gas export
compressors that can handle
necessary gas export until the
damaged turbine compressor
could resume operation.
An investigative group from
Hydro immediately began
looking into incident, which
was reported to authorities
in accordance with regulatory
routines. There were no
injuries.

Engineers Eldred Dixon and Justin Smith make sure
the plant is running as it’s supposed to – safely.
Why they won
Here is what the jury had to say about
Hydro Polymers in Aycliffe
• Very strong performance
• Generally well in compliance
with Hydro requirements
• Management group with high
commitment
• Systematic approach to improvement
• Excellent system for training of all
levels in place
• Proactive and strong approach to
process safety and risk assessment
activities
• Very good health system implemented,
caring for individuals
• Proactive sustainability projects
ongoing
• Very good housekeeping standard
in place
See Hi 5 on the back cover for what Hydro
Polymers employees in Aycliffe have to say
about winning the President’s Safety Award.
Two
Other nominees >>>

-time winner
For Hydro Polymers in Aycliffe, winning the
President’s Safety Award for the second time
is a stepping stone, not a pedestal
H
Aluminium Metal
Kurri Kurri,
Australia
ydro Polymers in Aycliffe, UK,
won the President’s Safety
Award for 2006, but it wasn’t
the plant’s fi rst brush with greatness –
the plant won the award in 1997, and had
been nominated in 2002, 2003, and 2005.
“We can safely say that Aycliffe is a worthy
winner,” says Jack Simensen, Hydro’s vice
president of Health Security Safety and En-
vironment and head of the award jury.
It’s a great achievement, people at the plant
acknowledge, but safety performance is an
ongoing process, not one that ends with an
award.
“It’s a great accolade to be selected for the
award from the whole of Hydro,” says John
Edmondson, health, safety and environment
manager at the Aycliffe plant.
“We thought we were good when we won
the award 10 years ago, but since then we’ve
gone from strength to strength. It’s all about
continuous improvement, and that means
today’s performance might seem relatively
unremarkable in say 2017.
“We’ve learned a lot and need to go on
learning and to put the lessons into practice.
Therefore, it’s a stepping stone, not a pedestal.
“Each year, our safety targets get tougher. I
have a saying posted on my office wall, which
Aluminium Metal
Deeside,
UK
reads, ‘If you want some things in your life
to change, you have to change some things
in your life.’
“So we keep changing – not replacing,
but building on what we already do well. For
example, in 1995 we introduced Dupont STOP
program. That greatly reduced our accident
rate and helped us win the 1997 President’s
Safety Award,” John Edmondson states.
“Each year we continued to develop the
program with STOP throughout, leading on
to Behavior Based Safety. We continue to
develop both the quality and quantity of
Behavior Based Safety observations, and
this goes hand-in-hand with effective team-
work. Within the teams I’d like to see more
Behavior Based Safety observations between
colleagues.”
The Aycliffe site is a “people-based” organi-
zation, Edmondson says: “We are recognized
as individuals, supported and developed
through our employment with the company.”
This is demonstrated by long service among
the staff (30 percent of the workforce have
been here 25 years or more), low sickness
absence rate (2.5 percent) and activities such
as a health program.
“Being healthy for work helps improve our
private lives as well, so health promotion and
Aluminium Products
La Roca,
Spain
Aluminium Products
Hydro Building
Systems, Germany
Oil & Energy
Ormen Lange
Offshore, Norway
President’s Safety Innovation Award hi! 7
Some companies just talk about safety, but Hydro
puts the words into action, says operator Mick
Anderson (right), conferring with safety manager
John Edmondson.
health care is a win-win activity,” he says.
“On the process safety side I think we enjoy
being regarded as the site with the greatest
hazard but lowest risk in the area. We put
a huge amount of effort into managing risk
and most this work normally goes unnoticed.
But it gets recognized in the President’s Safety
Award.”
hi! > Tom K. Andersen
photos > Terje S. Knudsen
Oil & Energy
Oseberg East,
Norway

Bergen
Oslo
North Cape
Hammerfest
Nucula
The Nucula drilling project
in the Barents Sea
represents the very best
in environmentally sound
exploration
Photo: Scanpix/Aune Forlag/Ole P. Rørvik
Green

drilling
in the deep blue
E
xploratory drilling in the Nucu-
la structure of the Barents Sea
has revealed the presence of
oil and gas. Working with authorities,
interest groups and partners, Hydro
has demonstrated that oil activity can
be undertaken without harming the
environment in the far north.
The exploratory well was drilled to a final
depth of 1,592 m below sea level, reaching
rock dating from the early Triassic period.
Hydrocarbons were found in the so-called
Realgrunnen Group and the Kobbe forma-
tion. The well was not production tested,
but extensive data collection and sampling
was carried out.
“It is positive that a new and promising
exploration area has been found in this part
of the Barents Sea. However, it is important
to emphasize that the data collected must
be evaluated and analyzed to clarify if the
find is economically viable,” says Tore Lilloe-
Olsen, head of Exploration in Development
Norway.
The production license was awarded in
the 19th licensing round in March 2006,
and Nucula is the first Hydro-operated
exploration well in the Barents Sea since
Obelix in the winter of 2005.
“We are very happy we drilled the well so
soon after being granted the license,” says
Lilloe-Olsen. “A lot of preparations were
needed before we could start, and many
Hydro people worked extremely hard to
reach our goal in such a short time. Both
the drilling department in Bergen and the
Harstad office proved themselves more
than capable of finding good solutions to
the project’s challenges”.
The Nucula prospect lies 45 km north of
the North Cape, Norway’s most northerly
point and a tourist magnet which attracts
some 200,000 visitors each year. Nearby
lies one of northern Europe’s largest bird
>>>
hi! 9

Green drilling in the deep blue
colonies, the breeding site for around two mil-
lion sea birds.
As a result, the drilling process was subject
to stringent environmental conditions, both
with regard to emergency preparedness and
discharges. The only discharges into the sea
were from the top hole; largely a mixture of
fresh water and table salt. After drilling finished,
studies of the seabed showed that the opera-
tion has had minimal impact.
“Hydro has for many years been working
to find the best solutions for exploration wells
in environmentally sensitive areas. We are
pleased this operation was carried out with
fewer discharges to the sea than planned, no
unexpected events and with minimal impact
on the environment. The Nucula drilling pro-
ject represents the best of what is currently
available in terms of holistic environmental
solutions for exploratory drilling,” says Lilloe-
Olsen.
Before drilling, an extensive oil-spill contin-
gency plan was drawn up. Several of the oil
protection systems of the Norwegian Clean
Seas Association for Operating Companies
(NOFO) were in the vicinity during the opera-
tion, and emergency response agreements
were entered into with 17 local fishing vessels.
In addition, a helicopter and a surveillance
plane were on hand to provide assistance if
necessary.
At the beginning of December, an extensive
emergency response exercise was carried out
in the pitch black of the Arctic winter, in heavy
seas and biting cold. With gale-force winds
and over two-meter high waves, local emer-
gency services and Hydro worked together in
a very realistic exercise designed to show that
Hydro was capable of tackling an oil spill in the
area, and demonstrate how any such oil spill
would be dealt with if it reached the shore.
The Norwegian Pollution Control Authority
(SFT) granted a drilling license on 6 November,
but this decision was appealed by the environ-
mental organizations Bellona and Nature and
Youth. However, the Ministry of the Environ-
ment upheld the SFT’s decision to grant
permission for exploratory drilling.
The ‘Polar Pioneer’ rig started drilling the
well on 16 January. The operation took 45
days. During that time the SFT’s auditing
group carried out a four-day inspection on
board the rig. They found no non-compliances
or serious deficiencies in connection with the

drilling operation, which has been described
by many as the ‘most environmentally sound
ever undertaken’.
Almost 70 wells have previously been drilled
in the Norwegian sector of the Barents Sea.
So far only two viable finds have been made:
Snøhvit and Goliat. However, the areas off the
North Cape are largely unexplored. Following
the success of the Nucula drilling operation,
cautious optimism and hopes for a North-Nor-
wegian oil boom are now starting to spread in
Finnmark.
hi! > Britt Hage
photos > Colin Dobinson, Pål Hermansen
The vessel M/S Sørøysund brings oil spill
equipment ashore for a preparedness excercise.
Crew members prepare a skimmer, which would
be used to collect oil in the event of a spill.
Tore Lilloe-Olsen
It is positive that a new and promising
exploration area has been found in
this part of the Barents Sea. However,
it is important to emphasize that the
data collected must be evaluated and
analyzed to clarify if the fi nd is economically
viable.
Tore Lilloe-Olsen
hi! 11
>>>

Cuttings:
from problem to resource
S
ince 2003, exploratory drilling in
the Barents Sea has had to be
undertaken without discharging
drill cuttings after the blow-out preventer
has been installed.
Up until now the drill cuttings have been
stored on the rig and then either reinjected or
shipped ashore for disposal. Such a solution
is not the best for the environment as a whole:
reinjecting the drill cuttings requires energy,
and when stored on land they quickly become
a problem because the high salt content can
damage the ground water.
Hydro commissioned KMC Oiltools to de-
velop a machine which can transform the
drill cuttings into drilling fluid. The machine
grinds up the cuttings in several stages, turn-
ing them into a liquid mass. Fresh water is
added during the process, and viscosity and
pH are adjusted by adding small amounts of
green drilling fluid chemicals.
The resultant liquid has the properties of
a drilling fluid and can be used elsewhere on
the Norwegian shelf. The Norwegian Pollution
Control Authority (SFT) granted Hydro per-
mission to use the cuttings from Nucula as
a replacement for conventional drilling fluids
when drilling top holes in the Troll/Oseberg
area. The new drilling fluid being produced on
board the Polar Pioneer is called “Arctic Pure
Drilling Fluid” and is shipped to Mongstad for
storage before it is reused.
Hydro believes that this method provides
an extremely good environmental solution
for those areas in which it is not permitted
to discharge drill cuttings. It ensures that the
cuttings are not a waste problem on land, and
the rock mass can replace traditional weighting
agents which are used in drilling fluids.
Hydro won praise from Norwegian
authorities for the high level of
emergency preparedness during drilling.
More on Nucula > page 38-39
h

i
lo
Prize for exploration
Hydro was named Best Exploration Company
on the Norwegian Continental Shelf for the past
two years. The jury, exploration managers from
competing companies and representatives of
the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, was
unanimous in its decision. “This is a marvelous
recognition of Hydro’s extremely capable and
competent exploration team,” says Tore Lilloe-
Olsen, head of Exploration in Development
Norway.
Ellenville extrusion
plant to close
The 265 employees at the aluminium extrusion
plant at Ellenville, New York, in the US, have
been informed that the facility will be closed. “We
are deeply disappointed that we haven’t been
able to find a buyer who could secure a future
for the extrusion plant,” says Sally Hobbs, who
is responsible for HR & Organization for Hydro’s
Extrusion Overseas business sector. “Now we will
have to concentrate on carrying out the closure in
a way that minimizes the negative effects for our
employees, customers and the local community.”
Worcester plant sold
to UK fi rm
The Automotive Components plant in
Worcester, UK, is to be sold to a privately
owned UK company, Holden Lightweight
Ltd., as part of Hydro’s restructuring of its
downstream aluminium businesses. Since
1999, when the plant was opened, the
company has delivered products to Aston
Martin, Lotus, BMW, and Jaguar. The
agreement secures employment for about
130 employees at the plant.
Hydro.com wins
web award
For the second year running, Hydro has
been awarded the prestigious Farmand
Prize in the category for best web site
among stocklisted Norwegian companies.
The jury said hydro.com is easy to navi-
gate, in spite of the enormous quantity
of information that is available. “This is a
tremendous recognition of the work we
do on our website,” says Hydro.com
editor Sissel Rinde.
hi&lo
hi! 13

The employees
at the magnesium plant
in Bécancour pay a
bittersweet farewell
One last

goodbye
The world’s largest and most modern pure magnesium
plant could not compete against low-priced metal from China.
F
riday, 13 April 2007: Hydro in-
vited the last 250 employees
working at the magnesium
plant in Bécancour in Canada to a
fi nal gathering. Almost 300 showed up.
There were speeches, a few tears, hun-
dreds of hugs, and thousands of handshakes.
Then it was all over. The employees are walk-
ing out the gate for the last time.
The closure had been a long time coming;
the employees were first informed last autumn.
There was denial, anger, frustration. But now,
there is one last farewell in a party tent at what
used to be a busy industrial area.
One month had passed since production
stopped at the site. Two groups of employees
had left over the last weeks; some returned
for the final farewell. The site – the world’s
most advanced magnesium plant – has been
prepared for dismantling and demolition.
Svein Richard Brandtzæg, head of Alumi-
nium Products, give words to the thoughts
of many of them: “This is not fair. You haven’t
deserved it and we haven’t deserved it.”
Still, the closure was inevitable, the result
of globalization – specifically, cheap exports
from China.
Meeting the Canadian press after the
gathering, Brandtzæg says: “The reasons for
the closure are not in Bécancour. They are
in China. The employees have not only done
their best. They are the best. We are proud
of them and we are confident that they are all
attractive for other employers.”
Their strong reputation has already given
more than 100 of the 300 employees a new
job. Even though the unemployment rate is
around 10 percent, the group is confident that
almost all of them will have a new job before
the severance pay stops about a year from
now.
hi! > Ole Johan Sagafos
photos > Ole Johan Sagafos
hi! 15
>>>

O
n meeting him for the fi rst time,
you get the impression he’s a
nice guy. His track record tells
a different story: in recent years he has
axed more jobs than anybody else in
Hydro.
Imagine the scenario: management has
been closely monitoring the plant, they’ve
tried everything.
The employees have not only
done their best. They are the
best. We are proud of them and
we are confident that they are all
attractive for other employers.
Svein Richard Brandtzæg
Mission impossible?
Possible!
In the end there is no alternative. The
business has to be closed down. It’s now
– when there’s no longer any hope left –
that a senior manager calls Arne Skoland.
A couple of weeks later, he arrives on
site with a “Mission Impossible” task. It’s
then, when it’s as bad as it gets, that a
plant’s team spirit is put to its hardest test.
“In my experience it’s mainly about co-
operation and respect, but also about de-
termination and courage, not forgetting the
ability and will to see what the right course
of action is in the longer term,” he says.
“If I’m going to do a good job, then it’s
imperative the decision to close is the right
one. The company has to be able to prove
that there is no alternative. Closing down
workplaces is not a decision to be taken
lightly. We never do this.
“But even though the decision is right ob-
jectively speaking, it’s difficult for people
to accept that their jobs are redundant.
These are very often people who’ve been
working at a plant all their lives. That’s why
it’s crucial to spend sufficient time with the
employees, really explaining the grounds
for the decision.”
Skoland adds, however, that such open-
ness can easily create frustration, irritation
and anger early on in the process. “This is a
totally natural reaction, which management
needs to acknowledge.”
It is extremely important to gain people’s

Arne Skoland strives to makes the closure as
open, honest and humane as possible.
trust, he says. It is vital that the dialogue
is as open as possible. The more informa-
tion, the better the process.
Skoland guards against becoming cyni-
cal. “If this happens, I will be compromising
the very conditions needed for achieving a
good process.”
Arne Skoland sighs. Making closures
as painless as possible for all involved is
a meaningful task. But he admits that he
wouldn’t mind getting involved with an
expansion now and again.
Maybe he’s a nice guy after all.
“The employees here are the best,”
says Svein Richard Brandtzæg.
Closing down
workplaces is
not a decision
to be taken
lightly. We
never do this.
Arne Skoland
hi! 17

Water and
inside >>>

light
Water, water
everywhere
> 20-21
Sunny future
for solar
> 22-23
Water Innovation and light hi! 19
When Hydro’s oil and gas activities
join the new StatoilHydro
company as planned later this
year, the hydropower operations
now part of Oil & Energy will remain
in Hydro. This historic part
of Hydro’s business – reaching
back to the very beginning in
1905 – will play an important
role in Hydro going forward.
Indeed, the Power business will
represent a significant portion
of Hydro’s asset value and is an
important source of low-cost
renewable energy.
Also on the renewable energy
front are Hydro’s activities in
solar power research and generation.
Hydro has made two
major investments in external
companies recently, and development
of solar technology will
continue in Hydro based on the
strong tradition of materials
technology.
>>>

Fast facts
Hydro’s power plants
(* denotes plant no longer in operation)
2.10.1907
Svelgfos 1*
1911
Lienfos*
1911
Vemork*
Water, water
H
ydro uses a lot of electricity
for aluminium production and
other activities, but the com-
pany’s own production of hydropower
is substantial.
“We’re one of Norway’s three largest
hydropower producers with average out-
put of 9 terawatt hours (TWh) per year,”
says Siri Revelsby, manager of Hydro’s
power portfolio, which covers everything
from maintenance planning and optimiza-
tion of water resources to physical trading
on the Nord Pool market.
Norway itself is the largest hydropower
producer in Europe and the sixth-largest
hydro-power producer in the world at an
average 120 TWh per year. The total varies
according to a particular year’s precipitation.
Close to 99 percent of Norway’s electricity
production is hydropower – covering 95
percent of the country’s consumption.
1912
Vemork*
1912-16
Såheim
1913
Vemork*
1913
Svelgfos 2*
In 2005, Norway consumed about 112 TWh
of electricity, according to the Norwegian
Ministry of Petroleum & Energy. Energy inten-
sive industry consumed about 36 TWh, while
other heavy industries, including timber and
mining, used 15 TWh. Households and service
industries consumed approximately 61 TWh.
Hydro is presently Norway’s largest power
consumer and one of Europe’s top five. Hydro
operates a total of 19 hydropower plants
throughout Norway. “Our power portfolio is
the main source of energy for our aluminium
operations in Norway, which consume an
average 13.5 TWh per year,” explains
Revelsby.
The remaining power needed is partly
covered through long-term contracts with
Norway’s largest power producer, Statkraft,
and partly purchased on the Nordic power
exchange, Nord Pool. One-third of the cost
to produce aluminium is power. It’s impera-
1915
Svelgfos 2*
1924-26
Frøystul*
1948
Mår
1954
Moflåt

Water Innovation and light hi! 21
Possibly one of the most overlooked facets in Hydro is power production.
We tend to take it for granted. Fact is – we wouldn’t be Hydro without it
everywhere
1955
tive that Hydro secure competitive long-term
power contracts to run a viable aluminium
enterprise.
Interestingly, only about 200 people work
in Hydro’s hydropower operations, but the
unit will generate significant value to the new
Hydro’s total revenues.
There are three facets to hydropower pro-
duction – maintenance, day-to-day operations
and portfolio management. All three interface
with one another.
“Our job is to maximize value out of the
water,” says Revelsby. Trading basically revol-
ves around the old market principle – buy low,
sell high. Trading hydropower includes juggling
numerous unforeseen variables – like weather.
“It’s a very easy job,” Revelsby says with
an ironic smile. “You only have to be in control
of 50 different reservoirs, know how much pre-
cipitation is going to fall during the year and
determine what future power prices will be.
In addition, Hydro has ownership interests in
the power company Vest-Telemark Kraftlag
and operates Fortun in Sogn, one of Norway’s
largest power stations.
Neverdalsåga
1957
Mæl
1958
Svelgfos 3
1960
Sundsfjord
“Precipitation and prices are correlated.
Rainfall can be up 30 percent one year and
down 30 percent the next. The uncertain
nature of weather makes for an enormous
challenge,” she comments.
Hydro’s opening chapter a century ago
is all about hydropower. Waterfalls spilling
into the steep mountain valley at Rjukan,
were channeled and churned into energy
1965
to produce fertilizer, and later aluminium and
magnesium.
Today, hydropower often lies in the shadow
of hydrocarbons, but it remains ubiquitous.
“We’ve always been here,” says Revelsby.
“Since the very start.”
Our job is to maximize
value out of the water.
Siri Revelsby
Røldal Suldal
1971
Nytt Vemork
1971
Røldal Suldal
1977
hi! > David Burke
photos > Terje S. Knudsen, Peter Bandtholtz
Røldal Suldal
1980
Sundsfjord
1995
Nytt Frøystul
2004
Nye Tyin
>>>

Sunny
future
for solar
A new era of solar power is dawning in Hydro
H
ydro has “long identified solar
as an interesting area in which
to invest – both because of the
explosive growth the sector has seen
during the past few years and expecta-
tions this growth will continue,” says
Einar Glomnes, head of the Solar unit.
Solar power is growing faster than any-
one previously thought – presently by about
40 percent per year. Experts expect solar
power to be fully competitive with conven-
tional power supply by 2010.
Hydro recently invested NOK 150 million
into solar power cell components manufac-
turer NorSun. The company is currently
establishing facilities in Årdal, Norway, and
hiring approximately 100 local employees,
the same number of people affected by
the closure of the Søderberg line at Hydro’s

aluminium plant in the northwestern Norway
community this summer.
“Our engagement in solar is based on
Hydro’s traditional strengths in material tech-
nology,” Glomnes says. “We believe the skills
to succeed are within the key competencies
of Hydro going forward and not so related to
the oil company’s strengths in exploration and
production of hydrocarbons.”
In March, Hydro entered into an agreement
to invest $9.2 million in the American solar
energy company Ascent Solar Technologies,
Inc., which has developed a super thin and
flexible solar cell technology. The investment
gives Hydro a 23 percent ownership interest
in Ascent Solar.
“Ascent Solar’s flexible thin film is very
exciting. Not only due to the low weight that
makes the solar cells easy to transport, install
Water Innovation and light hi! 23
Our engagement in solar is based on
Hydro’s traditional strengths in material
technology.
Einar Glomnes
and maintain, but also because flexible solar
cells have a large number of potential appli-
cations in the future,” says Glomnes.
“It’s our ambition to enhance our activities
within solar and building systems. Ascent
Solar is among the leading companies in thin
film. We are therefore looking for opportuni-
ties to develop integrated building solutions
together with Ascent Solar,” says Glomnes.
Ascent Solar Technologies will build a 1.5 MW
pilot plant in Denver, Colorado, in 2008, and in
2010 it will begin large-scale production from
a 25 MW plant.
hi! > David Burke
photos > Terje S. Knudsen, Kåre Foss
Einar Glomnes took over as head of the Solar unit on 1 May.

Taking a more structured approach to
manufacturing has paid off at Acro in Brazil.
Our business is
growing and we
don’t have space
for expansion.
That makes it
essential to use
all techniques and
employee creativity
to maximize our
operations and
work safely.
Sergio Luiz Vendrasco
Fast facts
Kaizen
Originally a Japanese business concept, “Kai” means “change”
and “zen” means “good.” A common translation is “continuous
improvement.”
Kanban
Kanban is a signaling system related to lean manufacturing
or just-in-time manufacturing. It helps organize manufacturing
based on customer demand.

Operators
show way
at Acro
T
he employees working on Acro’s
cut-to-length production line had
long been struggling with erratic
work fl ow, frequent changeovers and high
inventory levels that took up valuable
shop fl oor space.
Something had to change.
Last year, management at the facility, led
by Sergio Luiz Vendrasco, took the team
aside and together they decided to bring
several continuous improvement tools into
the process. Kaizen and Kanban were two.
“It is the same story,” says Vendrasco.
“The ones who are doing the work are the
ones who know how to do it better.
“The key is to find the methods that offer
bottom-up empowerment, full ownership,
and commitment. Once you find the right
tools, it becomes a learning process that
leads to continuous improvement.”
The learning process has included send-
ing operators to customer operations for
training. For instance, Delphi has helped
teach Hydro employees how to use Kaizen
in their daily work.
Acro now has two engineers fully qualified
in Lean Manufacturing techniques and they
are able to apply the learning directly in the
workplace.
“Our business is growing and we don’t
have space for expansion,” says Vendrasco.
“That makes it essential to use all techniques
and employee creativity to maximize our
operations and work safely.”
This is also in line with Sector President
Salvador Biosca’s overall vision for Precision
Tubing in Hydro. Part of this is to develop a
learning culture that has tangible effects on
business performance.
“We have achieved some very good
results,” says Wellington Alves, the project
They say improvement
starts with
the one looking in
the mirror. A team
of operators at
Hydro’s precision
tubing facility in Brazil
is doing just that –
and performance
is improving
leader, who points specifically to improve-
ments in inventory levels and pieces-per-
hour in production.
hi! > Kevin Widlic
photos > Sergio Luiz Vendrasco/Ana Carolina
Fernandes
Team members can take much of the credit for improvements at Acro. Back row from left, Rubens Macedo,
Marcel Franco, Flávio Gusi, Damião de Oliveira, Dirceu Inocêncio; front row from left, José Cantil, Roberto
Oliveira, Alisson Santos, Marcílio Campos, Luis Carlos Segatto.
hi! 25

Have you
lost something?

Do you treat information as a valuable item?
You should
M
ost of us take good care of
our valuables. If you lose your
credit cards, though, they
can be voided. Keys and locks can be
changed.
information security hi! 27
But what about information? You don’t
have the same options. Information is one
of the most important resources for a
knowledge-based company like Hydro.
Once it gets into the wrong hands, it can
damage our businesses and reputation.
“Information security needs must always
be considered – both internally and in com-
munication with external parties – whether
in written, oral or electronic form,” says
John Ove Ottestad, chief financial officer.
“To achieve an adequate level of
information security, it is important that
everyone is familiar with the rules and
regulations and complies with them.”
>>>

Information
security needs
must always
be considered
– both internally
and in communication
with
external parties
– whether in
written, oral or
electronic form.
John Ove Ottestad
As technology provides us with more and
more ways of sharing information, it also
presents pitfalls. Cell phones, personal com-
puters, e-mail, CDs, USB memory sticks –
the list goes on.
Your Hydro PC is regarded as safe, and
will not normally constitute an information
threat, even if lost or stolen. The hard disk
is encrypted, making it impossible for unau-
thorized persons to access the information.
Still, you should safeguard your passwords,
and use passwords that can’t be guessed.
Numbers and a combination of upper case
and lower case characters increase your
chances of thwarting thieves and hackers.
Be aware that people sitting around you
may be able to read your PC screen. Log
off your PC when not in use or activate the
screensaver or “Lock Workstation” function.
When using your PC in public, you should use
a screen shield to discourage prying eyes.
Pay attention when you open e-mails. There
is always the chance they may contain viruses
or other malicious software.
Don’t e-mail sensitive documents to your
private e-mail address, for instance in order to
work on them at home. Keep such informa-
tion within the Hydro environment. Even within
Hydro, be careful not to send information to
the wrong person. Many colleagues share
common last names and it’s easy to misdirect
an e-mail. If you must send confidential infor-
mation externally, encrypt the information.
When working from your home office,
always use the Hydro Remote Access, which
is a secure Virtual Private Network connection.
The use of non-encrypted CDs, diskettes or
USB sticks to store confidential information
is not allowed. You should always use secure
Hydro-encrypted USB memory sticks.
Many USB memory sticks in use have
no protection at all, and if stolen or lost, the
contents are available to all. The Hydro secure
memory stick is different. It’s safe – because
it’s encrypted. This means you will need a
password to access the stored information.
Even if you don’t have a PC or e-mail ac-
cess at work, be aware that the simplest – and
seemingly harmless – situations are cause for
care. In our so-called “paperless workplace,”
there’s still a lot of paper floating around. Make
sure important documents don’t fall into the
wrong hands.
Most of the time we are not aware of how
far sound can travel. Bear in mind that others
might be listening or watching. Avoid men-
tioning names, figures and facts, whether in
conversation with others or on the telephone.
There may be competitors, customers or
members of the media nearby, even in the
most unlikely situations. Think about what
you’re saying – the offhand comment while
you’re in line at the local grocery store may
reflect poorly on the company, too.
hi! > Ole Snerte
photos > Kåre Foss, Colin Dobinson

Information tips
Notes mail
Encrypt all Confidential
mails! Refer to the
straightforward user
guide on our website. If you receive
an encrypted mail from somebody,
you must switch on encryption
before forwarding the mail to another
person. If you are sending
a Confidential mail externally, use
Safeguard Private Crypto.
Print
Ensure that no unauthorized
persons
can see Confidential
or Strictly Confidential documents
during printing. The printing of
Strictly Confidential documents
must be approved by the owner
of the information, and all copies
must be registered.
Telephone
Information classified
as Confidential must
not be discussed in
circumstances where you do not
exercise full control. Strictly Confidential
information must not be
discussed on the telephone at all.
Copying
Ensure that no unauthorized
persons can see
Confidential or Strictly
Confidential documents during copying.
The copying of Strictly Confidential
documents must be approved by
the owner of the information, and all
copies must be registered.
USB memory sticks
Use the secure Hydro
memory stick that has
been encrypted. Unencrypted
sticks must not be used
– the information they contain is too
easily accessed and may still hold
data despite deletion of the files.
information security hi! 29
Fax
The fax (In-house and
external) machine may
be used for information
classified as Internal. It must
not be used for information classified
at a higher level.
PC used off
Hydro premises
Your PC is protected
by Safeguard Easy
encryption. Use a secure password,
make sure it remains secret,
and activate your screensaver
when leaving the PC unattended.
Obtain a screen shield to prevent
others from seeing your screen.
CD
If you have to copy
files to a CD, use
Safeguard Private
Crypto in order to encrypt the
files first.

Another breakthrough
A “slug rig” enables
researchers on
dry land to mimic
conditions offshore
A
new installation at the Research
Center in Porsgrunn, Norway, is
known as the “slug rig”, a test rig
for stabilization of unstable fl ow. It enables
research scientists to study the unstable flow
conditions that can occur during the produc-
tion of oil and gas offshore.
“The rig is really an offshore production
process in miniature, enabling us to recreate
the unstable flow conditions we observe in
the pipelines from the wells to the platforms,”
says senior researcher Vidar Alstad.
Alstad, along with research scientists Kristin
Hestetun and Glenn-Ole Kaasa, explains that
the rig’s construction is based on experience
gained in the course of close cooperation with
offshore operating units and the Research
Center’s multidisciplinary teams.
As well production gradually decreases,
problems can arise due to unstable flow. This
means that the gas is not able to expel the
oil, which leads to the formation of large oil
volumes, or slugs, that impede the gas flow.
Gas pressure beneath the slug builds up
before eventually expelling large volumes of
oil into the separator facility on the platform.
Such occurrences are repeated cyclically,
causing considerable fluctuations in flow and
reduced production.
The Center’s process control team has tak-
en on the challenge of stabilizing the flow. The
team works on advanced control techniques,
in which computers automatically control the
platform valves in order to stabilize the flow.
The researchers have developed mathemati-
cal models of unstable flow, which they use
to develop control concepts to prevent slugs
from being formed.
“We work closely with operational people,
smoothing the path from research to the
actual installation of solutions on the platform,”
says Alstad. “We need the test rig to conduct
controlled trials enabling us to understand the
phenomena better.”
The slug rig was completed last year. Along
with the multiphase and hydrate rig, it has
helped create a fascinating advanced oil and
gas technological environment at the Center.
Oil companies and suppliers around the world

oil and gas rig
that have carried out trials here, say that
Oil & Energy’s Porsgrunn Research Center
is world-class.
“The aim is to extract more oil,” says
Alstad. “Stabilizing the flow has a potential
of 2-5 percent increased production, and
this will increase earnings.”
hi! > Tom K. Andersen
photos > Gisle Nomme
Research scientists Kristin Hestetun, Glenn-Ole Kaasa and Vidar Alstad collect data from the slug rig.
The researchers discuss the mathematical
formulae developed during the trials.
hi! 31

Boosting casthouse
performance
– big time
Aluminium Metal’s global “technology
cluster” represents some of the best
competence in casthouse and material
technology worldwide.
Dávur Jacobsen

Aluminium’s Reference Center helps solve
casthouse problems and improve ways of working
F
ive dollars a tonne doesn’t sound
like much – until you multiply it by
1.6 million.
“In a best case scenario, we have the po-
tential to knock $5 off the cost of every tonne
of the 1.6 million tonnes of liquid metal Hydro
produces each year,” says Dávur Jacobsen,
head of Hydro’s Reference Center and Cast-
house Support in Sunndal, Norway.
The Reference Center is set up to develop
better casthouse processes and equipment,
and provide basic process training services,
including health, safety and environment. It
serves Hydro casthouses worldwide. Its ser-
vices are especially relevant to the upcoming
Qatalum project in Qatar.
The center specializes in developing alloys,
new technology and concepts. Its new 1,200
m2 space in Sunndal has facilities to cast alu-
minium alloys for extrusion ingot, sheet ingot
and foundry alloys. The site features a 17
tonne furnace with metal launder loop, homo-
genizing line, saw, DC caster and CC line, and
superior control systems supplied by Hycast.
The Reference Center is part of Aluminium
Metal’s technology cluster – which includes
Hydro’s global network of casthouses; Hycast;
the R&D centers in Sunndal, Karmøy (Norway)
and Bonn (Germany); and the 11-member
Casthouse Support consulting team.
“The cluster is one of the best competence
centers within casthouse and material technol-
ogy worldwide,” says Jacobsen.
The Reference Center and Casthouse Support
frequently sends technical experts and training
personnel to casthouses throughout the Hydro
organization.
“The new Reference Center helped us solve
a big problem with crack formation in start-up
sheet ingot at Årdal,” says Årdal sheet ingot
process engineer Stian Tangen. Last Septem-
ber, the casthouse produced a 240-tonne
order that was ruined due to cracking.
“The Center ran a series of cast tests in
Sunndalsøra, using our cast parameters and
casting moulds, to simulate casting start up.
They varied the conditions and saw early on
that errors in water-cooling the ingot during
casting contributed to cracks in the casted
product.”
The Årdal casthouse was given a list of
remedial measures. “We established a fol-
low-up program for our casting moulds that
helped us alleviate the problem,” says Tangen.
“That was in late September and in the fol-
lowing three months we averaged a 77 tonne
section per month flawed by cracking. We
expect to reduce this in 2007 to 70 tonnes per
month, a total reduction of some 1,600 tonnes
compared with 2006. That’s a lot of increased
tonnage!”
The center also helped the Årdal sheet ingot
casthouse reduce scrap output for one specific
alloy from 20 percent of its production to close
to zero by developing more efficient casting
processes.
Reference Center personnel Dávur Jacobsen, left,
Åge Strømsvåg and Kjell Hafsås want to share more
of the facility’s training expertise.
The Reference Center wants to share more of
its training expertise.
“They assisted us during the training of all
the new production and maintenance opera-
tors before the start up of the Azuqueca plant
in January 2002. There were several sessions
in Sunndal and some sessions at Azuqueca,”
says plant manager Jose Galindo.
“I can say for sure that the safety perspec-
tive provided in those training sessions played
a major role in the fact we had no serious inci-
dent related to molten metal during the start up
phase of the plant.”
Both Tangen and Galindo say new organiza-
tions and/or recently merged plants needing to
adjust their working procedures to Hydro stan-
dards can benefit from the Center’s expertise.
“I had the opportunity to send teams from
two different locations to Sunndal and both
trips paid off in terms of process understanding
and control, as well as teambuilding and inter-
cultural understanding,” says former casthouse
manager Berthold Lukat.
“I would say that foundations were laid
that time for the current production records in
Clervaux. It takes some time to develop people
and implement routines until they become a
natural reflex.”
hi! > David Burke
photos > David Burke
hi! 33

The Norwegian Red Cross is involved in a number
of well projects to improve the water supply in
drought-hit areas of Kenya.
Hydro’s centenary
contribution to voluntary
organizations is being
put to good use in
many places around
the world
A
tanker can supply a few hundred
adults and children with water. A
new well can provide thousands
of people with a better life.
The Kenyan authorities have asked for help
from voluntary organizations to provide better
access to clean water for the people living in
the country’s northern and eastern regions.
The Norwegian Red Cross is one of the
organizations which has embarked upon
an ambitious program of work – with funds
from Hydro.
The NOK 10 million which the Norwegian
Red Cross is now spending to improve living
conditions for the people of 50 local commu-
nities is just one part of Hydro’s contribution
to voluntary organizations in connection with
the company’s centenary last year. Save the
Children and Norwegian People’s Aid also
received NOK 10 million.
The areas in Kenya, which are now receiv-
ing help, have been suffering from drought
for years. Among the measures being imple-
mented by the Norwegian Red Cross is the
repair and drilling of 50 wells, the digging of
15 shallow wells, the expansion of eight dams

good neighbor hi! 35
It helps to help
and the construction of eight new underground
dams to collect the ground water.
In 2006, Save the Children launched its
“Rewrite the Future” campaign, designed to
provide schooling for children living in countries
affected by armed conflict. The campaign is
the charity’s contribution to achieving the UN’s
millennium goal of education for all children by
2015.
Save the Children’s efforts to give children
an education are focused particularly in
Kampuchea, Nepal and Uganda. School
protects children and gives them the knowl-
edge and skills they need to avoid poverty,
stay healthy and hope for a brighter future.
The challenges vary.
In Kampuchea, Save the Children is working
in remote areas where there are practically no
schools. They repair and build schools and
make sure more children are able to complete
their education. In Nepal, the organization is
working in rural districts and developing ways
of measuring how much the children learn.
Such measurement is important in order to
further develop and improve the school
system.
Save the Children is working closely with
the educational authorities in Kampuchea
and Nepal, making it possible to promote
local responsibility for, and awareness of,
children’s right to an education.
The third country, Uganda, is still suffering
the effects of a brutal, 20-year-old conflict,
although peace negotiations are underway.
One of the challenges in the war-torn areas
of northern Uganda is to ensure the children’s
physical safety and offer them the opportunity
to go to school.
Save the Children is rebuilding schools
and creating temporary centers in the refu-
gee camps so that more children have the
chance of education through flexible schemes.
“Thanks to the substantial contribution
from Hydro, many children are being given
an opportunity to go to school which they
would not otherwise have had,” says Save
the Children Secretary General Gro Brækken.
Norwegian People’s Aid has used the
money it received from Hydro to set up a
”Hydro Fund”, which provides financial sup-
port for projects to help to reduce poverty. In
its first year of operation the fund has given
grants totaling almost NOK 3 million to four
different types of project.
Projects in Zimbabwe, Nicaragua and
the Palestinian area (West Bank/Gaza) are
among those receiving funding. Key features
of these projects are non-discrimination,
participation and competence building.
Almost NOK 900,000 has also been granted
to projects in Zimbabwe.
A project in Mozambique has also received
funding. The aim of this project is to strength-
en the position of women through, among
other things, giving them the opportunity to
own their own land.
Norwegian People’s Aid has also used
funds from the Hydro Fund in connection
with a residential and day-care center for
the homeless in Oslo.
hi! > Trond Aasland
photos > Kåre Foss
Thanks to the substantial contribution
from Hydro, many children are being
given an opportunity to go to school
which they would not otherwise have
had.
Gro Brækken

A good life
in aluminium
“I
couldn’t think of doing anything
else than working with alumin-
ium” says Kjell Øivind Vahl (46),
who has worked with the product ever
since his fi rst job as a summer temp back
in 1980.
Who?
Kjell Øivind Vahl
What?
Manager
Where?
Aluminium Metal, Finance and Strategy, Oslo
There were three of us, good friends from
Bergen, who got word that there was good
money to be made as summer temps at the
aluminium plants at Årdal, Høyanger and Hus-
nes. We chose Årdal after checking which of
the three places had the greatest population.
My very first job was as one of the operators
at the wire rod casthouse. I loved the job and
the town, which lies at the foot of the Jotun-
heimen mountains deep within Sognefjord,
so I decided to accept the offer of a full-time
job at the plant.
In 1986 I realized that I needed to get some
further education, so from 1986 to 1990 I took
leave of absence from Årdal to study econom-
ics first at Sogndal Business College and later
at Bodø Graduate School of Business. Unfor-
tunately, I finished my studies at a time when
Kjell Øyvind Vahl shares some laughs
with daughters Suzanne, 2, and Silvia, 9.
unemployment was rife and despite applying for
almost 50 positions I didn’t get one interview.
Luckily I was “saved” by Einar Selsås and Odd-
geir Steinheim from Årdal. They offered me a
position as an financial controller in the sales
department and casthouse. In the meantime
the company had changed names from Årdal
& Sunndal Verk AS to Hydro Aluminium.
In 1992 I continued my education with a part-
time MBA course in economy at the Norwegian
School of Management in Sandvika just outside
Oslo. And in 1993 I moved to Oslo to take up

a position in the economy department of the
then Metal Group led by Jan Ytredal. It was
there I gained experience within trading and
risk management. This led to three different
aluminium-related assignments over a four-
year period in the United States, first in Louis-
ville then in Baltimore.
Back in Oslo, my work now involves ac-
counting and reporting in Aluminium Metal.
With my background in aluminium I feel I get
right to the core of what’s happening both
within the market and on the production line.
I really get a buzz when I see the effects of the
fl uctuations on the LME (London Metal Exchange)
on the profits of the company and its plants.
Kjell Øivind Vahl
For me the job is a far cry from the tedium of
number crunching.
I really get a buzz when I see the effects of
the fluctuations on the LME (London Metal Ex-
change) on the profits of the company and its
plants. It is also important for the company to
improve its accountancy and control systems
in line with the latest requirements regarding in-
formation and computer system development.
As for my private life, well that’s a challenge,
too, being a single parent caring for two young
daughters, one nine and the other only two.
My working day is a careful balance between
my job, the nursery and after-school activities.
Luckily, Hydro is a company which is flexible
and I feel that I’m supported by my whole
department; no one says anything if I turn up
a bit late in the mornings. I can’t tell you how
valuable it is for me to have a job with a good
social network and colleagues I can count on.
hi! > as told to Dag Sunnanå
photos > Terje S. Knudsen
my job hi! 37

Thousands of tourists travel to Norway’s North Cape to experience
the Midnight Sun. Several cruise ships arrive daily at the nearby port
of Honningsvåg.
Darkness and light,
cold and warmth.
It’s all here at
the top of Norway
Land of
contrasts
Many people forget that the Land of the Midnight Sun is also the Land of Daytime Darkness
– in winter, when the tourists are long gone. This is the town of Honningsvåg in December.
Hydro has invested heavily in emergency preparedness in the local community. In December
the company ran a full-scale oil spill exercise at sea and on land.

H
ydro has been looking for oil in
the Barents Sea off the northern
coast of Norway. The Nucula
prospect lies in demanding waters, and
drilling took place in the depth of winter.
In summer, the coastal town of Honningsvåg
is the land of the midnight sun and teeming
with life, welcoming several cruise ships a day
with tourists bound for North Cape. Today,
during drilling, a stiff wind is whipping up snow
flurries and it’s hard to stand upright.
If you haven’t traveled north of the Arctic
Circle midwinter before, nothing quite prepares
you for the sight of a darkening sky before
lunch.
Leaving Oslo airport basking in the early
morning sunshine, the plane heads north
into a sky with a striking color transition:
from light to deep blue. But that’s nothing
compared with the roller coaster ride between
mountaintops that greets you as you go in for
landing in Tromsø. A small commuter plane
takes you onwards to the North Cape town
of Honningsvåg, passing Hammerfest with its
striking Melkøya industrial island.
Looking down on the craggy mountains
from above, it’s hard to believe that this country
is inhabited at all. Carless roads are etched like
tiny scratches into the rock, small towns glow
like beacons miles apart in the midday dusk,
and with snow and ice stretching as far as the
eye can see, it’s hard to comprehend any
notion of global warming.
With a thud, the plane lands on a snowy
runway and does an abrupt U-turn before
returning to a small shed that turns out to be
the terminal building. You could have been in
the middle of the arctic tundra.
postcard from Honningsvåg Innovation hi! 39
The intense cold penetrates every item of
clothing you have. The windswept streets
seem deserted, but the snowdrifts are dotted
with parked cars, their engines running. It turns
out that their owners are warming their toes in
the pub, and after all, who wants to return to
an icy car?
But when you do finally meet the locals, the
welcome is warm: “Welcome to Honningsvåg,
we hope you find oil!”
hi! > Colin Dobinson
photos > Colin Dobinson, Pål Hermansen
Scanpix/Aune Forlag/Ole P. Rørvik
More on Nucula > page 8-12

What do
you think
about
winning the
President’s
Safety
Award?
Andy Gaskell,
mechanical
craftsman
Paul Gibson,
compounds
training
technologist
Syd Ferguson,
engineer
John Hammond,
electronic and
instrumentation
foreman
John Edmondson,
health, safety and
environment
manager
It’s all about highly
trained people
working together.
It’s great to attain
this prestigious
award, with all
personnel at
Aycliffe being
proud. If you look
at the site, involvement
in regard to
safety, health and
environment, it is
quite astonishing
to see that everyone
in some way
has worked at
improving or maintaining
the high
standards set.
It’s a pat on the
back for hard and
consistent work
over the years.
It’s spot on!
The Safety Award
is a recognition of
the employees.
After all, it was they
who achieved the
result.
hi 55
Print: Kampen Grafisk, Oslo
for more read page 6-7