Our first employee at Haugaland Kraft
Olav Nes embarked on the New Year with a new assignment as a consultant in the technical customer service department at Haugaland Kraft. He is also Omega’s first consultant working for the local energy company on Haugalandet.
Olav Nes is Omega's first employee at Haugaland Kraft.
Olav has been with Omega since 2009. This is his fourth assignment as a hired consultant. Tucked in the end of Haugaland Kraft’s hall with consultants in technical customer service we find our Omega employee as the only hired consultant among a team of eight.
- I have barely been here a month and I am still being trained, but I have settled in well and I am surrounded by great colleagues in a good work environment, boasts Olav.
- There are some new software programs to get familiar with, but I am well equipped with knowledge about the practice and requirements of the job. I gather I will be set as responsible for customer contact toward regular installers in the region in time.
Utilize existing networks
or build new ones
There are many projects that need to be planned and organized; new areas for cabins or housing, private dwellings or industrial buildings. When customers need energy provided to new buildings or wish to make changes
Haugaland Kraft’s areas of focus
Haugaland Kraft’s main areas of focus are electricity production, distribution, sales and broadband services.
The company owned by the municipalities Karmøy, Haugesund, Tysvær, Vindafjord, Sveio, Bokn and Utsira, has about 260 employees – most of them work within electrical services with a background as assemblers, technicians, and engineers.
HYDROELECTRICITY
Hydroelectric power is a central feature in Haugaland Kraft’s more than 100 yearlong history. The main power plant located in Litledalen in the municipality of Etne has gone through extensive expansion and modernisation projects since the beginning of 1920. The past few years have seen several hundred million kroner invested in modernization of the energy plant.
WIND POWER
Haugaland Kraft is investing heavily in wind power. Together with Alpiq, the company has sought concession for Karmøy Wind Park. In cooperation with Fred Olsen Renweables, Gismarvik Wind Park (in Tysvæer) and Dølderheia Wind Park (Vindafjord) are being developed.
Haugaland Kraft is a co-owner of “Vestavind Kraft” with around 30 projects under development, and of “Vestavind Offshore”, which owns Norway’s first and only concession for offshore wind power, ”Havsul”, right off the coast of Sunnmøre.
SMALLER POWER PLANTS
The past decade Haugaland Kraft has had a large focus on the expansion of smaller hydroelectric power plants. The company has a goal of expanding at least one smaller hydroelectric power plant every year until 2020. The project has a total investment budget of approximately NOK 300 million.
on the already existing network, be it in private housing or industrial buildings, the message is sent to the energy company online by the installation companies.
- Our job will be to evaluate whether the requests can be completed with the capacity of the existing network, or if new lines from the network are required to cover the need. Determining the price of these services is also a part of our job, says Olav, who is set to be on assignment until the summer, but he hopes for an extension.
Can cater to more
Among the large projects in store for Haugaland Kraft in the time to come is the replacement of approximately 58 000 old electric meters. The old meters are to be replaced with new, automatic meters, and department manager Anders Lunde in Omega says he would not mind lending some more consultants to the energy supplier.
- We have several skilled planners and employees with good experience from logistics that can take on the work of planning and following up if Haugaland Kraft requires additional help, says Lunde.
The upgrade of the energy plants in Litledalen in the Etne municipality is another project where Lunde hopes he can contribute with personnel.
- We are ready to offer commissioning and start-up personnel with experience within high voltage and hydroelectric power plants, and from big construction sites within the oil and gas industry, says Lunde.