Salmon company fined for bypassing grid construction rules.
Aquaculture company Bjørøya AS has been fined NOK 3 million ($291,000/€261,000) by Norway’s energy regulator for laying power cables to a fish farm site in Trøndelag before receiving the necessary permits.
According to the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE), the company began construction of a 2.8-kilometre subsea cable and a stretch of land cable ahead of formal approval—despite clear requirements under Norwegian energy law that all electrical infrastructure must be licensed in advance.
The unauthorised works came to light during the public consultation phase of Bjørøya’s concession application in October 2024, a full year after the company had submitted its paperwork. By then, much of the installation was already in place.
In its defence, Bjørøya claimed that the local municipality had signed off on the cables, and that it had moved ahead to avoid delays and additional storage costs. But NVE concluded that the company acted deliberately and with full awareness of the rules.
“This is a serious breach,” said NVE section chief Anne Johanne Kråkenes. “By starting construction without approval, Bjørøya undermined the licensing regime and put both the energy system and local environmental values at risk.”
While NVE did eventually grant the concession in April 2025, the regulator said the fine reflects a growing crackdown on similar cases. “We have made it clear that violations of this kind will be pursued,” said Kråkenes.