We want to use this series of articles to showcase the branches of SAR along the coast, from Hammerfest in the north, to Stavanger in the south. Throughout our series, we will introduce the distinctive features of the various branches and how effective cooperation assists our customers turning waste into value. Here comes article number 5 in this series.
Florø is a gem on Norway's west coast, where arriving by chance is nearly impossible. You know when you're headed to Florø. At the mouth of a fjord in Sogn og Fjordane, you'll find a bustling small town with long maritime traditions. Aquaculture, fishing, shipyards, and geography weave a deep history with the sea and a strong boating culture. This, in turn, has fostered a vibrant cultural life, which in the summer months can be unparalleled.
In addition to receiving slop and cuttings from the offshore industry, the SAR branch in Florø is also deeply integrated into the city's operations. They handle the majority of waste management for both businesses and private individuals. They have perhaps the largest container-park among SAR locations in Norway, with a substantial portion being used by the city's residents and businesses. Here, you can also arrive with your car full of whatever you need disposed of and have it handled sustainably.
SAR Florø's administration building (left picture) and the transport vessel Amalie (right picture).
A versatile logistics center
SAR Florø has been in operation since 2001 when activities were taken over from Franzefoss. There are 24 full-time employees on site, and they handle well over 44 000 metric tonnes, annually. This includes drilling waste, commercial waste, and hazardous waste. What sets SAR Florø apart is their commitment to both private households and businesses in the city. Most of the containers you see around town are rented and managed by SAR. As mentioned, SAR Florø can almost be considered the city's own environmental station, where anyone can drive in with their vehicle, have the waste weighed, and ensure its safe handling. Everything from bicycles to old TVs can end up here. Here, you can also find the transport vessel Amalie in operation (as shown in the right image above), where SAR Group contributed with an upgraded ballast water treatment system, as part of a larger upgrade.
Lukasz Sobon picking up a container of wood from a private renovation project.
A hub for logistics and collaboration
Drilling waste, consisting of slop and cuttings, arrives from activities in the North Sea. It makes up the majority of what comes in and is further processed at other locations. At SAR Florø, the different fractions are received, separated, or 'minimized' before being sorted and organized for transportation elsewhere. Of the offshore waste, much of what’s in liquid form is sent to our water treatment facility at Mongstad. SAR Averøy, which we visited last time, receives the slop water and cuttings. Normann Swensen, in charge of the tank facility, mentions that they receive, separate, and organize around 3,000 cubic tons every month, with an annual production of 29,000 cubic tons. While Florø may not see much frost and snow, Swensen says it's just a matter of dressing appropriately when the autumn and winter storms arrive.
SAR Florø's sorting hall (left picture) and Normann Swensen processing samples of slop water (right picture).
Used to seeing the strangest things, even at short notice
As we mentioned, offshore waste is just one part of the activities here. For example, the aquaculture industry can bring challenging and unexpected tasks. Branch Manager Rune Blom recalls the day when 50 tons of fish suddenly appeared on the premises and had to be handled on short notice. It was a rather pungent day at work! Or when a giant crane from a rig took up most of the space, requiring some creative thinking to maintain capacity for the day. SAR Florø readily tackles the challenges that arise. With a skilled team both indoors and outdoors, they adapt quickly and always have control over what is and should be on the scale. The wide variety of tasks, collaboration, a strong service culture, combined with a great working environment, make this team a stable and essential contributor to SAR and to the community of Florø.
The top of the tank facility with a view overlooking the city of Florø.
Large fleet of machinery, even greater activity
Of all SAR's branches in Norway, they probably have the largest fleet of vehicles and machinery. They would like to have more, but they know how to make the most of what they have. Their vehicle fleet includes super vacuum trucks, sludge tankers, compactor trucks, hook-lift trucks, and container trucks. Additionally, they also have close partnerships with several local transport companies. Capacity should not be an issue when handling the waste from an entire city in a responsible and sustainable manner.
There's nothing as versatile as a potato
Even though everyone has their specialized roles, there a lot of cooperation across departments and areas of expertise at SAR Florø. Here, it's the customer first, always. This is a shared value among all internal departments, and when help is needed, those who can will step in. Annbjørg Hestdal, head of the customer center and the hazardous waste department, mentioned that there have been times when she had to step in as a hose or hatch watch, as required by safety procedures, when someone was sick. The job should always be done in safely.
The exciting and varied workday is perhaps the reason for why there is little staff turnover at SAR Florø. Those we spoke to, spread across all activity areas of the location, have been there for 9 to 26 years. This creates a close-knit environment, and there are warm stories about activities outside of the work attire, such as outings and gatherings during free time and weekends. There is no doubt that close relationships have been built here.
The picture shows the administration. From left: Therese Marie Fanøy, Beate Strømmen, Synneva Seljestokken, Annbjørg Hestdal, and Wenche Skavøy Aldeholm. The picture on the right features Annbjørg Hestdal and Synneva Seljestokken.
Bustling cultural life, herring feasts, and guest harbor
Florø is a place where you find everything close by, whether it's a boat trip, a hike in the mountains, island hopping, music festivals, or a herring feast. The herring feast (Sildebordet) is an annual event, held every year since 1992. In stiff competition with Haugesund, it boasts the longest herring table in Norway. A 350-meter-long dining table is set up through the town of Florø, inviting everyone to come and enjoy a hearty meal.
Kinnaspelet is another popular annual concert and cultural event that comes highly recommended, and where we are all invited. It's a theater and music event held on Kinn Island, a 25-minute ferry ride west from the Florø docks. It seems like this is just the tip of the iceberg. In the summer months, there's a festival nearly every weekend on the municipality's many islands. This draws people from afar, often by boat. The place receives much praise for its guest harbor, located at the heart of the city's nightlife. In other words, there's plenty to do here, and you quickly get the impression that Florø is an active place with a lively population.
A lot is happening in Florø on the business front as well. There is very low unemployment here, with strong companies in aquaculture, fish feed production, shipyards, and boat construction, in addition to the city's numerous shops and dining establishments. Fjordbase, where SAR is located, also houses many key offshore players. The team at SAR Florø is familiar with most of them, whether it's regular contracts, ad-hoc assignments and collaborations, or the Herring Feast. The Florø team is positive about the development and welcomes all activities."
SAR - green waste solutions based on collaboration
At SAR, we are proud of the responsibility we have for our customers, the local community, and our partners. We hope that our travel blog has provided some extra insight into our operations at SAR Florø.
New and existing customers are welcome to contact us if you have any questions or wish to use our services.
Together, we will find the best solutions: Greener and Safer!
The previous stop on our journey was SAR Averøy. Next time, we're heading to Mongstad, so sign up for our newsletter to catch our entire journey.
