The massive industrial structures visible on Risøy island, right in the middle of Haugesund, belong to the Aibel shipyard. This is where offshore oil and gas platforms are built and maintained, and increasingly also infrastructure for offshore wind.
The yard covers 234,000 square metres and is dominated by the North Sea Hall, a towering assembly building that has been a Haugesund landmark since it was built in 1983. Inside, workers assemble topsides and modules for North Sea platforms. Sometimes you will see several enormous structures at the yard simultaneously, creating a surreal industrial skyline in the middle of a small Norwegian town.
Aibel employs around 1,500 people in Haugesund. The company is a major part of the local economy and a reminder that Norway's oil wealth is not just about rigs far out at sea. Much of the engineering and construction happens in places like this.
You cannot visit the yard, but you can see it clearly from Smedasundet sound and the Risøy bridge. Walk across from the town centre for a closer look.
The yard covers 234,000 square metres and is dominated by the North Sea Hall, a towering assembly building that has been a Haugesund landmark since it was built in 1983. Inside, workers assemble topsides and modules for North Sea platforms. Sometimes you will see several enormous structures at the yard simultaneously, creating a surreal industrial skyline in the middle of a small Norwegian town.
Aibel employs around 1,500 people in Haugesund. The company is a major part of the local economy and a reminder that Norway's oil wealth is not just about rigs far out at sea. Much of the engineering and construction happens in places like this.
You cannot visit the yard, but you can see it clearly from Smedasundet sound and the Risøy bridge. Walk across from the town centre for a closer look.