The activists, including members of Extinction Rebellion, arrived with eight kayaks and three motorboats to enter a security zone outside the plant.
Protesters, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and members of Extinction Rebellion, attempted to block an oil and gas processing plant owned by Norwegian energy giant Equinor in the southwest of the country on Saturday. In a social media post, Extinction Rebellion Norway said eight kayaks and three motorboats had entered a security zone outside the Karsto processing plant to “prevent the normal operation of oil tankers”.
Activists including Greta Thunberg also gathered on land to block the factory gates. “We cannot stand by while the fossil fuel industry robs people of their lives and destabilizes our life support systems.”Thunberg said, according to comments reported in the message.
Police on site
The Karsto plant is operated by Norwegian company Equinor. It is the largest of its kind in Europe, according to the company. About 30 oil and gas fields are connected to the plant.
A company spokeswoman confirmed that the protest had begun. “A group of activists have gathered outside parts of the plant, but at this stage the plant is operating normally.”Ellen Maria Skjelbaek told AFP. She said the police were handling the protest.
Equinor is an energy giant that posted better-than-expected second-quarter results despite falling natural gas prices. It is lagging behind in renewable electricity.
Its net profit was $2.08 billion, down 9 percent from the same period last year, according to the group’s report released in July. Quarterly revenue came in at $25.53 billion, up from $22.87 billion a year ago.
