An unexpected location
Located in the inner reaches of one of our most beautiful fjords is one of Norway’s most exciting industrial projects. Green Zinc Odda 4.0 is the only smelting works in Norway that produces zinc. But how do you accommodate over 700 workers in a small town which already has limited space?
Karl from Odda
Odda is a small town located in the Vestland municipality of Ullensvang. One of the city's 5,000 residents is Karl Ystanes.
– I grew up on a fruit farm out in the fjord and my whole family comes from here, says Ystanes.
Ystanes has a varied background with a degree in geography and many years of professional experience as a journalist. He is currently working as the HR and Communications Manager for Boliden Odda AS.
– My day starts early and is both varied and exciting, he explains.
Ystanes started working for Boliden during the autumn of 2021 and has many different duties.
– One of the most important things that I do is to recruit and onboard construction managers, controllers, logistics workers and number crunchers so that they can do their jobs to the best of their ability.
By onboarding, Ystanes means helping new employees to become acquainted with their duties and the company’s procedures, as well as to ensure that they find somewhere to live.
– I and my three colleagues in the HR and Communications Department are also responsible for communications in connection with this project and for press and technical media enquiries. There are a lot of people who are curious about our new project, he says eagerly.
Green Zinc Odda 4.0
The new project is called Green Zinc Odda 4.0 (GZO) and is Norway's only zinc smelting works. As at today’s date the smelting works has been producing 200,000 tonnes a year. With the planned expansion this figure will increase drastically.
– Once we have completed this development we will be able to produce 350,000 tonnes of zinc annually. In order to achieve this, we have had to boost the power supply and expand the factory and quay, as well as install an extra engine and build a new electrolysis hall.
This major increase in capacity is impressive in itself, but the fact that GZO is also sustainable means that it is even more special.
– Unlike many others we are using hydropower rather than coal. This means that the climate impact per tonne is significantly reduced, while at the same time we can operate with the same input factor as previously.
The success of such a development is contingent on having enough manpower. And in order for the workers do to a good job they need somewhere to sleep, eat and enjoy their leisure time.
– Odda is a great town, but it has limited accommodation capacity, smiles Ystanes.
Finding adequate housing facilities for the almost 800 workers who will be helping to realise the development plans was actually a major challenge.
– Obviously we started by looking for a suitable onshore location. We initially considered using the site which has now become a golf course. Then we looked at a site on the other side of the mountain, more specifically in Kvinnherad, but decided that it was not right for us.
Good advice was expensive, but after a brainstorming session between Boliden, Stord Innkvartering and Tronds Marine, they finally found a solution: a floating offshore hotel.
Video from Odda
See how 4Service facilitates for over 300 workers in Odda.
4Service
4Service has been given the responsibility for running what is probably Norway's largest floating hotel, with an address on the quayside in Odda.
– The camp in Odda is not permanent, but so far it consists of six onshore rigs and three offshore barges. These are providing a total of 792 rooms, as well as a canteen, says Inge Kolstad, the Camp Director at 4Service.
Vibeke Ragnvaldjord, the Operations Director for Rogaland and the Southern Areas at 4Service, adds:
– Imagine having an offshore football pitch. That's the size of two barges moored next to each other. Four 2-storey rigs have been placed on those barges. Each of those rigs has 44 rooms. And there is a road running right through the middle which is the size of a normal Norwegian road. This is used for transporting bed linen and other essential items, etc. from one side to the other.
At the time of writing, 4Service has 25 of its own employees at the camp in Odda. Once everything is in place this figure will rise to 35.
In his capacity as the Camp Director at 4Service, Kolstad is responsible for ensuring the optimal function of over 7,000 rooms around the country every single day.
– In addition to the Operations Manager, there are receptionists, cleaners and head chefs, sous chefs, chefs and service personnel, explains Ragnvaldjord.
– After many years in this industry, I have learnt that the key to success lies in complying with both the major and minor requirements and expectations of the guests. I'm lucky to be part of a team that works hard from morning to night, he says.
– After many years in this industry, I have learnt that the key to success lies in complying with both the major and minor requirements and expectations of the guests. I'm lucky to be part of a team that works hard from morning to night, he says.
Kolstad's part of the Accommodation Division has the company's lowest rate of absence due to sickness and a strong community spirit.
– 2022 was a very good year for us. In previous years we ran a number of small camps. Now we have fewer, but larger camps. This is primarily due to the fact that the industry has changed and we have adjusted our operations accordingly. Apart from Odda we currently have large camps at Stord, Rugtvedt and Rosenberg. There's always something going on here and everyone is prepared to step up in order to succeed, he says happily.
Operations Director Ragnvaldjord can also look back on an eventful year last year.
– No two days are the same. If there is a common denominator, then I would say that it is that things are always hectic, she chuckles, and continues:
– Obviously it is particularly fun that we manage to solve the challenges facing us together. As Inge says, we are a great team that works hard for the benefit of each other. We're a bunch of YES people, and it is easy to advance to a managerial position at 4Service.
She herself is a living example of this. She has climbed up through the ranks from being an apprentice chef at Kårstø to being responsible for almost 300 employees today.
– I'm grateful that I had the chance to show what I could do. Being able to use my own story to inspire or help others is something that I really appreciate, she says.
Dinner at sea
Karl Ystanes at Boliden is happy with the services provided so far by 4Service.
– It goes without saying that a completely new concept needed a bit of time to get going, but now everything is working really well.
Ystanes is an avid visitor to the canteen, especially when dinner is being served.
– It's always nice to be served by cheerful people with smiles on their faces. The food is great and the service is professional. They are good at doing fish and creative with the greens. The fact that the workers receive good service and good food after a long, hard day at work is something that makes them happy and produces results.
4Service is not only knowledgeable about running camps. It also has plenty of experience of operating at sea.
– Obviously what we have learnt from working offshore for many years is helping us with a project like the one in Odda, says Rangvaldjord.
Being able to refer to the work they have undertaken way out in the North Sea shows that they have credibility and gives their customers confidence in them.
– In addition to having good recruitment procedures we always focus on HSE and good training. This creates security and makes us well equipped to deal with major and minor problems both on land and at sea.
Ystanes agrees that the work 4Service has undertaken offshore will benefit the camp at Odda.
– 4Service and Stord Innkvartering have the expertise required for enabling safety and comfort to go hand in hand. They are good at finding smart solutions and always take into account the fact that most of the people staying at the floating hotel are not actually seafarers, he says.
Looking to the future
The floating hotel in Odda has become a tourist attraction. The city's residents are also impressed with the solution.
– I think that most people really appreciate the solution that was chosen for accommodating so many workers. Obviously having the support of the local population is important for us at Boliden, Ystanes explains.
The Swedish group has great faith in the project in Odda and is proud to be able to contribute to the green shift by arranging for the proper storage of hazardous waste products and having wind turbines and electric cars, etc.
– There are not many zinc plants in the Nordic region, and last year was a record year for both Boliden as a group and the smelting works here in Odda. We are very optimistic about the future. There are currently around 150 people involved in the project group, but when the new facility is fully operational in 2025, it will provide a total of approx. 360 new jobs.
Kolstad at 4Service is also looking forward to the next stage.
– The floating accommodation in Odda shows that if you have the will then you can achieve pretty much anything. The project has given rise to considerable attention in the industry and has provided us with many new opportunities. Our dialogue with Boliden has always been good, and the fact that group managers from Sweden have visited us on several occasions is of course extra gratifying, he says proudly.
Ystanes confirms that their cooperation is good:
This is the first time that Boliden and 4Service have collaborated, but I don't think it will be the last.