From Hydropower to Circular Growth – Rjukan Builds Green Industry Through Collaboration

Rjukan is a place with a truly remarkable history. Over a hundred years ago, Sam Eyde and Norsk Hydro harnessed the Rjukan Waterfall. They built power plants, factories and railways, and in record time, an entire town grew up between the mountains. Hydropower became the driving force behind Norway’s industrial revolution, and fertilizer from Rjukan helped feed a changing world. The town also earned its place in world history during the Second World War through the heavy water sabotage, putting Rjukan on the map far beyond Norway’s borders.

Today, the factory chimneys are gone, but the legacy remains. Rjukan still stands as a symbol of what the power of water and collaboration can achieve. And now, a new chapter is being written: an industrial journey where green growth and circular economy take center stage.

Collaboration as a Driving Force

Sirkulære Rjukan has established itself as a unique cluster where businesses, research communities and public actors come together to explore how surplus resources can create new value chains. It’s all about listening, sharing and collaborating, a culture that builds on Rjukan’s industrial heritage while keeping its focus firmly on a sustainable future.

Rune Hellingsrud, Managing Director of Rjukan Næringsutvikling, puts it well:

“Rjukan has always been a place for innovation. Now we’re showing how sustainable industry can be developed in practice. Our goal is to make Rjukan a beacon for the whole of Norway.”

Concrete Projects Creating Impact

Through cross-industry collaboration, new solutions emerge. One example is the partnership between Green Mountain and Hima Seafood, where excess heat from the Rjukan data center is used for land-based fish farming, while return water from production is reused as cooling for the data center. This demonstrates how residual resources can generate new value and contribute to both climate and business gains.

Torkil Bjørnson, Project Manager at Sirkulære Rjukan, highlights the value of this approach:

“We have shown that circular solutions work in practice, and we see how collaboration drives innovation. The network gives us the strength to promote new projects and connect players who might never have met otherwise.”

Comet Growth as a Partner

In June 2024, Comet Growth began delivering communication services for Sirkulære Rjukan, with a clear goal: to tell the story of how Rjukan is transforming its industrial legacy into sustainable growth, and to highlight the people and companies making it happen.

Tina Edvardsen, Founder and Managing Director of Comet Growth, particularly emphasizes the culture within the network:

“What truly sets Sirkulære Rjukan apart is their unique ability to listen, share and collaborate across sectors. At the same time, they build everything they do on solid knowledge, competence and experience. The positive attitude they bring into every project creates value, innovation and growth. For us at Comet Growth, it’s inspiring to help tell this story.”

 

A National Opportunity from the Mountains

Rjukan was built on hydropower and collaboration and those same forces continue to drive its development today. It’s no longer about industrializing an entire town, but about developing a new industrial culture with sustainability at its core. With its history as a foundation and strong partnerships shaping the future, Rjukan has every opportunity to become a national model for green industrial development.