Energy Seminar at Palace of the Academies

Your Royal Highness
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is indeed a great pleasure for me to be here in the Palace of the Academies to open this seminar. I see this encounter as yet another opportunity to further strengthen the good relations and close co-operation between our two countries.

Belgium is an important economic partner for Norway. Our ties are especially strong in the energy field. Belgium was one of the very first countries to purchase Norwegian gas, and is still one of our most important partners in this area. The pipeline connecting the Norwegian continental shelf to Belgium – Zeepipe – went into operation ten years ago, and is concrete evidence of our tradition of close co-operation.

Tomorrow's energy needs are a vital issue. It is indispensable in a modern society. As blood flows through our veins and arteries, carrying energy to our muscles and brain, oil and gas flow through pipelines, carrying the energy that sustains our way of life.

Norway has a large proportion of the confirmed oil and gas reserves in Western Europe. The Norwegian petroleum industry started with oil. While oil production from the Norwegian continental shelf will decline in coming years, natural gas production will rise. Both our resource base and the rising demand for gas in Europe support this development.

If natural gas replaces other fossil fuels, it will be to the benefit of the environment. This is an important reason why we should welcome gas to play an even more important role in the future European and global energy picture. Gas could even play an important role in a transition to a sustainable energy future by serving as a bridge to hydrogen production. But in order for this is to happen, we need to foster innovation and make sure that our energy industries can sustain an adequate level of research and development. This can best be done in partnerships that draw on high quality expertise across disciplines and national boundaries.

This seminar is a good example of how we can join forces in this way. I am sure that the ideas presented by the speakers here today will be inspiring, and that your discussions will be fruitful. I hope it will help us to find ways of dealing with the challenge of how to meet tomorrow's energy needs in a sustainable way.

I wish you all the best in your important tasks!

Thank you!