Opening of ONS 2010
On Tuesday afternoon, His Majesty The King opened ONS 2010 in Stavanger, an exhibition, conference and festival in Stavanger that has served as a key international meeting place for the oil and alternative energy industries since its establishment in 1974.
The ONS (Offshore Northern Seas) focuses mainly on the petroleum industry, it has also increasingly come to encompass alternative forms of energy. King Harald emphasised this in his opening speech while at the same time noting that it will take a long time before more environment-friendly alternatives can replace fossil fuels. The development of safer, cleaner petroleum technology is crucial, and the exchange of knowledge made possible by events such as ONS represents an important step in this process:
“The catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico is a reminder to us all of the challenges and risks linked to deep sea activities. It is important that the industry’s technical experts come together at events such as ONS. In the quest for safer ways of producing oil and gas, it is vital that you openly exchange ideas and inspire each other,.” said King Harald.
Guided tour
Prior to the opening ceremony, King Harald was given a guided tour of the exhibition hall by ONS President Kjell Ursin-Smith. Their first stop was the ONS Parks at the ONS Centre Court, which The King opened in a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. As the tour continued, King Harald met with a number of national and international stakeholders participating in the conference before attending a luncheon hosted by Stavanger municipality.
Panel debate: Energy for more people
This year’s conference theme is “Energy for more people”, and raises the key question: How can we make energy available to an ever-increasing population without placing too great of a burden on the environment?
“Energy for more people – a global perspective” was also the title of the panel debate which began at 3:00 pm following an introduction by Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. King Harald attended some of the debate before leaving the conference hall for discussions with energy officials.
Met with energy officials
King Harald concluded his day at ONS 2010 by meeting with Minister of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change Charles Hendry from the United Kingdom as well as with the Minister of Mines and Energy H.E. Augustin Kouadio Komoé from the Ivory Coast and the Minister of Energy Dr. Joe Oteng-Adjei from Ghana.
EnlargeCurrent news
Welcoming the Restauration to the US
His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon, along with a couple of thousand attendees, welcomed the sloop Restauration to New York, exactly 200 years after the vessel carrying Norwegian emigrants arrived in the United States. In 1825, they crossed the Atlantic in search of a new and better life. This voyage is regarded as the beginning of organised emigration from Norway.
Met with Governor Walz in Minnesota
Minnesota is one of the states in the United States where a large proportion of the population has Norwegian ancestry. His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon is therefore also visiting this state and its largest metropolitan area, Minneapolis–Saint Paul, during his trip to the United States to mark the 200th anniversary of Norwegian emigration to the US.