Seven days after promising stability, Norway's Progress Party has executed a sharp policy reversal on a major Arctic energy project, throwing parliamentary calculations into disarray and sparking accusations of bad faith from political rivals. The party now supports a left-wing proposal to strip reserved power from the electrification of Equinor's Melkøya gas plant, a move the government warns could cripple a project where over 50% of construction is complete and 10 billion kroner is already spent.
Ap's energy policy spokesperson, Masud Gharahkhani, stated his party received direct assurances from Frp the day before a key committee meeting. “We got assurances from Frp's side the day before the committee meeting on Thursday that they would not stop Melkøya or support any of the Red Party's proposals,” Gharahkhani said. Frp's sudden shift means the minority coalition government faces a likely defeat when the Storting votes on the issue on February 5th.
A Project at the Crossroads
The Melkøya plant near Hammerfest processes natural gas from the vast Snøhvit field in the Barents Sea. Electrifying the facility, currently powered by its own gas turbines, is a central pillar of Norway's climate policy for its offshore industry. The project aims to cut CO2 emissions from the plant by approximately 850,000 tonnes annually. Halting the electrification now, after significant infrastructure investment, presents a complex dilemma of sunk costs versus future energy policy.
Gharahkhani framed the decision as an unprecedented and damaging intervention by parliament. “The Storting has never gone in and withdrawn a legal permit or concession before. Now Frp is advocating for that,” he said. He warned of dire consequences for investor confidence in Norway, a nation built on predictable resource management. “The consequence is that investors will think twice when they see how Frp is operating,” he added.
Frp's Justification and Internal Reaction
Frp's energy spokesperson, Tor Mikkel Wara, had publicly called halting the project “unwise” just one week prior, citing its advanced stage. The party's new position aligns it with the Red Party's view that the reserved power should be reallocated. Frp's Kristoffer Sivertsen, who also sits on the energy committee, defended the pivot. “Frp prevents with this the Labour Party's northern Norwegian power grab. Gas power plants are the solution for Melkøya, residents, and industry in the north,” Sivertsen stated.
He forcefully rejected Gharahkhani's characterization, denying the party was revoking the project's concession. “What we are saying is that further operation should be done through gas power without carbon capture. In this way, we prevent a power crisis in Northern Norway and release the power that is currently reserved for Melkøya to industry and business,” Sivertsen explained. He suggested the Labour Party could resolve the impasse in upcoming negotiations.
The Credibility Question
The rapid about-face has ignited a fierce debate about political reliability. Gharahkhani launched a pointed critique of Frp's core identity. “Frp abdicates as a business-friendly party. On oil, gas, and business, Frp has been stable in its approach. But now you see the reactions coming from the business community. They no longer trust Frp. It is dramatic,” he argued. He concluded with a biting personal remark: “I miss that there are any adults at home in Frp.”
Sivertsen dismissed the criticism outright, turning the focus back to the Labour Party's record. “It is difficult to take Ap politicians who talk about trust seriously,” he responded. The exchange highlights the deep personal and political tensions the reversal has exposed, moving beyond policy disagreement into charges of broken trust and erratic governance.
The Road to the February Vote
With the vote scheduled for February 5th, the government faces a narrow path to avoid defeat. It must now seek alternative alliances or negotiate a compromise, potentially around the timing of power allocation or conditions for gas-powered backup. The outcome will send a clear signal about the Storting's appetite for intervening in ongoing industrial projects and its commitment to the current plan for offshore electrification. The question for investors and industry partners is no longer just about Melkøya, but about which political promises on Norwegian energy policy can be considered solid.
Will this vote mark a one-off political maneuver, or the beginning of a more unpredictable approach to Norway's cornerstone oil and gas sector? The answer will resonate from the Storting building in Oslo to the boardrooms of major energy investors and the shores of the Barents Sea.