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NOAH’s history

To ensure that Norway had a responsible treatment solution for hazardous waste (at the time called special waste), in 1991 the authorities set up the company Norsk Avfallshandtering AS together with nine big industrial companies.

The equity at the start was NOK 131 million, where the government and Environment department owned 56.5.% The set-up was passed by Parliament through Proposition No. 103 (1990-1991). Buying Langøya – inorganic waste.

Langøya 

Norwegian Avfallshandtering AS came into operation by buying Langøya from Norcem / Aker in 1993. The plant on Langøya was then established for the treatment of certain waste streams. In the following year NOAH took on a significant expansion of the treatment spectrum to cover the Norwegian need for treating inorganic hazardous waste.

Brevik 

In line with its function as a national hazardous waste site, in 1999 Norwegian Avfallshandtering AS opened a separate treatment for organic hazardous waste. The plant was placed next to Norcem’s concrete factory in Brevik. Organic hazardous waste has a high heating value and the plant converted the waste to fuel for Norcem’s cement furnaces. Instead of using virgin materials such as coal, Norcem could therefore, in an industrial cooperation with Norwegian Avfallshandtering, utilize environmentally harmful waste as fuel, and thus provide a proper and controlled disposal of the waste. Norwegian Avfallshandtering sold the plant to Norcem in December 2002.

NOAH today

At the same time as the plant in Brevik was sold, the government decided to reduce its ownership in several companies, including Norsk Avfallshandtering AS (ST.prp. no. 39 – 2002/2003). After a lengthy process that involved several interested parties, it was decided that Gjelsten Holding AS would buy the company. This made NOAH AS – as the company is now called – a 100 % privately owned company, with the treatment plant on Langøya as its core business activity.

Today NOAH has approx. 70 employees distributed on Langøya and in offices in Holmestrand, Oslo and Herøya.

On Langøya, we receive and treat most types of inorganic hazardous waste and contaminated mass.