These industrial parks lead the way for a circular economy
Page date: Published 3 Feb 2023; updated 30 Sep 2026. 4 min read.
The article presents Norwegian industrial parks as places where companies share infrastructure, energy and materials, with local hydropower as an advantage. It profiles three sites and their circular-industry projects.
Mo Industrial Park (MIP): The article describes metallurgy and steel as core activities, powered by local hydroelectricity. It lists recycling of energy, by-products and waste, including a scrap-steel recycling centre. Waste heat from Elkem is used to raise aquaculture smolt; waste heat from Elkem and carbon gas from Ferroglobe also feed other companies or local district heating. The page says these flows recycle 400 GWh per year, with a target of 620 GWh. It says Celsa receives up to 60% of Norway’s scrap metal and turns it into rebar; mill scale goes to Elkem, insulation material is recycled by the Norwegian Refractory Company, and dust from Elkem and Celsa is sold as an input to concrete makers and processors.
Mongstad: The site is described as a maritime and offshore industrial park next to Equinor’s refinery and gas terminal. Technology Centre Mongstad is presented as a major carbon capture and storage testing centre. The article lists trials by Aker Solutions, Alstom, Shell CANSOLV, Carbon Clean Solutions, ION Engineering and Fluor, and notes consulting work. CO2Bio is described as piloting use of captured carbon for microalgae. Greenspot Mongstad generated 28 concepts for green industrial production, including hydrogen and reuse of asphalt in wind turbines; the article says some were expected to become projects later.
Herøya: The article says the park hosts about 80 companies in process, research and development, chemical and service sectors, and provides utilities including electricity, gas, steam and water. REEtec’s separation process is described as extracting rare earth elements from phosphate feedstock supplied by Yara. NORSEP is described as recovering raw materials from fly ash, while NOAH was establishing a salt-recovery plant for potential users Yara and INOVYN. The article attributes to NOAH a potential reduction of up to 20% in incineration-plant landfill waste. Project statuses and performance figures here reflect the article and are not independently verified. Related links: Industrial production; Energy; Circular economy; CCUS; Technology Centre Mongstad; NORSEP.