Energy certainty in uncertain times

When Russia invaded Ukraine, the energy landscape was transformed overnight. The Kollsnes processing plant in Øygarden suddenly took on an even more important role in securing energy for millions of Europeans. And in the midst of all this, came even greater responsibility for Torgeir Sandøy Johannesen and his colleagues.

We met Torgeir one evening, on the way up ‘Blomøyknuten’, one of the highest points in the flat coastal landscape of his native municipality, Øygarden. From the top, he can gaze out over his childhood home, his primary school and what is now his home, before his gaze gradually comes to rest on the Kollsnes gas plant.

“And there’s my job”, he points.

The peaceful countryside surrounding him stands in stark contrast to the high-tech plant that supplies millions of Europeans with energy on a daily basis. Kollsnes processing plant is one of three facilities in Øygarden that has turned the island municipality into an important hub for the energy sector – both for Norway and Europe.

Torgeir is Leader for operational support at the Kollsnes processing plant. He’s worked his way up through the ranks, starting off as an apprentice in automation more than 20 years ago.

“My job is to make sure that the gas that enters the plant is scrubbed, refined and routed onward in the safest and most efficient way possible,” Torgeir explains.

Torgeir, and all his colleagues who are responsible for ensuring the free and safe flow of gas from the Norwegian continental shelf to Europe, experienced a definite shift in the character of their work when Europe’s energy situation was suddenly upended.

Looking forward

Although Kollsnes is now delivering more gas than ever before, Torgeir makes it clear that oil and gas is not a long-term solution.

“But it would be worse for both people and the climate if we turned off the spigot today,” he says.

He knows that the production activity emits CO₂, but they’re doing everything in their power to reduce emissions. Today, the Kollsnes processing plant is nearly 100% electrified, and it is considered to be one of the most modern and energy-efficient gas processing plants in the world.

“When the plant is operating at full capacity, that’s also when it runs the cleanest,” Torgeir explains, pointing out that stable operations yield lower emissions per unit of energy.

Torgeir also advocates that revenues from the current gas success story must be used wisely.

“We can use the profit from oil and gas to invest in technology that will drive us on into the future,” he says.

Breakthroughs are consistently being made in how technologies like artificial intelligence and drones can contribute to the energy transition. We find another example just a stone’s throw from Kollsnes: carbon capture and storage. In September 2024, Equinor, along with Shell and TotalEnergies, opened the Northern Lights facility in Øygarden. The facility will store CO₂ from Norwegian and European industry deep under the seabed, and the first phase is nearly ready for launch. An additional NOK 7.5 billion was invested in March 2025 to boost injection capacity from 1.5 to 5 million tonnes of CO₂ annually.

The future is at stake

From Blomøyknuten, Torgeir looks down towards his home where, every evening, he returns to his family after finishing his shift at Kollsnes. He and his wife have three daughters who are part of a new generation growing up in the intersection of ocean, nature and industrial plants.

It’s important for me that my girls, who will someday have children and grandchildren, also have a future to grow up in, and that we don’t ruin the climate and the environment for them,” he says.

This personal drive also makes it easier to deal with the more difficult aspects of the job.
“I’d rather be on the inside making a difference, than standing on the outside, shouting,” says Torgeir.

He envisages a future where Equinor has developed into a broad-based energy company that delivers vast volumes of clean energy.

“If I were to pop into a time machine and emerge in 2050, I would hope to see that Equinor is still a leading company in the energy transition, and that we have ensured the world has enough energy – and above all, enough clean energy,” he says with optimism.

The future is marching towards us, whether we like it or not. Torgeir wants to make good use of this time. The job he and his colleagues are doing today can lay the foundation for ensuring that the future world will have sufficient, secure and clean energy.