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NOAH – a leading environment company

NOAH’s core activities are to receive, process and properly store inorganic excess soil and stone materials of varying contamination levels. For over 20 years, NOAH has ensured that environmental pollutants from this type of waste have not ended up in nature. The soil and stone are then used as fill to restore landscapes.

NOAH plays a socially critical role given that parts of Norwegian industry and Scandinavian energy recovery efforts depend on the company’s acceptance of materials in order to operate. NOAH plays a decisive role in enabling Norway to succeed in the government’s circular strategy, aimed at achieving a non-toxic material cycle.
In addition to preventing contamination, NOAH also works to develop the circular solutions of the future through the research and development of recycling alternatives, such as the use of sulphuric acid in gypsum production and fly ash in concrete. In terms of salt recovery from fly ash, NOAH’s Resalt project has already built a pilot facility to produce pure salts for use in industry.

Waste against waste

Waste with the highest contamination level – hazardous waste according to the Waste Regulations – is transported to the island of Langøya off of Holmestrand. No less than 99% of inorganic contaminated waste from Norwegian industry is delivered here for proper treatment. NOAH is an important part of this infrastructure. Every year, NOAH extracts 8,000 tonnes of heavy metals from this waste and ensures that it does not end up back in the cycle. Industrial acid with low pH value is combined with alkaline fly ash (with high pH value) to create a gypsum slurry that chemically binds heavy metals. Gypsum waste can also be used to stabilise other inorganic industrial waste and as a building material for restoring Langøya’s nature. Langøya is being restored and the areas on the north and south of the island are being returned to the public as recreational areas. Read more about nature restoration on Langøya.

The process used on Langøya requires little water, energy or additives and has a low environmental footprint because one type of waste is used to treat another form of waste. According to the EU, this method is the best available technology (BAT).

Minimal CO2 emissions

In Engadalen outside of Nittedal, NOAH accepts excess soil and stone materials with low contamination levels from construction projects in the Oslo region. This material is used to fill and stabilise a landslide-prone ravine valley that can be used for farming or commercial activities afterwards. The filling process involves a minimum of CO2 emissions because the facility is fossil-free. NOAH Engadalen meets the significant demand for suitable locations to discard soil and stone materials from socially critical building projects. These include the University of Oslo’s Life Sciences Centre, Fornebu Line and E18 motorway expansion projects.
In addition to waste materials handling, NOAH is also a co-owner of Morrow Batteries and owner of Rekefjord Stone AS. Morrow Batteries plans to construct a huge battery factory in Arendal based on the battery technology of the future. In Sokndal, Rekefjord Stone produces high-quality stone for the Norwegian and European markets.

Climate solution partner

NOAH works along the entire value chain to find good climate solutions for transport and its own operations. The goal is to cut greenhouse gas emissions from its own activities in half and help customers, suppliers and partners reduce their emissions. In addition to sector partnerships focused on such solutions as liquid biogas in heavy transport and hybrid technology for cargo ships, NOAH also participates in forums like the Vestfold and Telemark Regional Climate Network, Green Shipping Programme and EarthresQue.

Ownership and organisation

NOAH is 100% owned by Gjelsten Holdning. The company is organised in a group structure, with Anders Lægreid as CEO, Tove Stuhr Sjøblom as managing director of NOAH Solutions (Langøya) and Egil Solheim as managing director of NOAH Environment (Engadalen and Rekefjord). NOAH also has a research and innovation division with a staff of around ten.

As an industrial player that plays an important social role, NOAH is subject to stringent health safety and environmental standards and an emergency readiness regime. The company conducts annual emergency preparedness exercises at all operations locations and works together with local municipalities and emergency services. Read more about NOAH’s emergency preparedness activities.