Emissions of sulphur dioxide, 2000, preliminary figures

Statistics Norway and the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority have calculated that the Norwegian SO₂ emissions were 26 000 tonnes in year 2000, which is 2 700 tonnes less than the year before. According to the obligations in the Gothenburg protocol Norway is allowed to emit 22 000 tonnes of SO₂ annually from 2010. The emissions must therefore be further reduced.

Non-combustion emissions from the manufacturing industries were responsible for 60 per cent of the SO₂ emissions in 1999. The figure shows the distribution of the emissions on different processes. The figure illustrates that metal production dominates the non-combustion emissions.

The SO₂ emissions were in 2000 half as much as in 1990. The reduction is caused by more effective emission control in the manufacturing industries, substitution of fossil fuels with electricity in some industries, use of lighter oil products and less sulphur in oil products and in reducing agents.

The 9 per cent reduction last year is partly caused by the fact that the heating season in year 2000 was the mildest one since 1992, which lead to reduced consumption of light heating oils and kerosene. Further a new tax on diesel oil with high sulphur content (more than 50 parts per million) has been effective, since the oil companies quickly reduced the sulphur content in the diesel oil after the tax was introduced by January 1 2000. There have also been reductions from some types of non-combustion emissions last year.