Rehabilitation of the Vallnes quarry in Sokndal
- with mineral mass from NOAH
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Egil Solheim is CEO of NOAH Environment (NOAH Engadalen and Rekefjord Stone)
Vallnes – a unique rehabilitation project on a European scale
Since 1963, stone has been extracted from the Vallnes quarry in Rekefjord, which is exported to Europe for use in coastal protection, offshore wind development and other critical infrastructure. In the coming years, mining activities in this quarry will cease.
Just as we are currently rehabilitating the old limestone quarries on Langøya, our plan is to rehabilitate the Vallnes Quarry with mineral mass and other suitable materials.
In the area section of the municipal plan, Sokndal Municipality has written:
"It must be ensured that areas that have been used for mineral extraction or industrial production can subsequently be reused for new commercial purposes."
Our plan to rehabilitate the quarry directly responds to this, and will enable continued commercial activity in Rekefjord for a long time to come. The area is well suited, both in terms of geographical location, existing infrastructure with deep-water quays, and not least skilled employees who have worked in industry for many years.
Langøya outside Holmestrand
Background:
The world is facing both a climate crisis and a natural crisis. In Norway, we have been blessed with abundant access to both affordable renewable energy and land since industrialization. In the circular age, we must make much better use of the resources we have extracted from nature. This applies both to utilizing waste as a resource and to reusing the land that has already been used.
NOAH is an environmental and resource company that leads the way in the circular economy. Through many years of research and technology development, we now utilize the resources in the masses we receive, both for recycling and landscape rehabilitation.
On Langøya outside Holmestrand, we process residual fractions from industry and incineration plants. In 2024, we invested over 400 MNOK in a processing unit that gave us the opportunity to produce a mineral mass that is used to rebuild the island's terrain.
In 2025, we opened Oslo's first soil washing facility, FRANO, together with Franzefoss. Here, contaminated surplus materials are recycled into environmental waste.
In 2026, we will open a plant that will produce pure gypsum from the filtrate water from the process on Langøya.
Through Langøya KompetanseHub, we develop new recycling solutions, and we assist our customers in identifying new opportunities to utilize resources that previously went to landfill.
Rekefjord Stone in Sokndal
MORE FROM WASTE / DEPOSIT :
STEPHANIE O'ROURKE / researcher
PIERRE LIONEL MATTE / visual artist
RUNE HAALAND / environmental activist