"Living a boy's Adventure Tale"

By Norsk Hydro - Tone Dahle

Morten Harket, from the supergroup a-ha, visited the alumina plant Alunorte in the Amazon region of Brazil to learn more about Hydro and the relationship between industry and the natural world.

Harket, who is very interested in biodiversity and the rich nature of the Amazon, says: “For people who are interested in the environment, it is so easy to be against all industry and other activities that use natural resources. I think we have to be realistic and realize that we need industry, and that we have to utilize natural resources, but I believe this can be done in a sensitive way so that we don’t disturb the balance in nature more than necessary.

“The Amazon is a unique area, because it contains the greatest species diversity in the world.” Linked to the Hydro centennial, there is an agreement with a-ha and Harket that included concerts in Oslo and Cologne. The idea is to create a “meeting place” between Harket and Hydro employees, and the Alunorte visit was just this kind of interface.

Alunorte is doing some celebrating itself – its 10-year anniversary. The day Harket arrived, celebrations were underway for employees who had been at the plant since the beginning. In all, 240 of the plant’s 1,100 employees received a diploma to mark their achievement.

Harket toured the facilities and was very interested in the process to convert
bauxite into alumina, one of the first steps in producing aluminium. The alumina
is shipped to Hydro’s plants in western Norway and to other locations.

Harket also met employees in a lively session – everyone wanted the star’s autograph and to be photographed with him. A-ha is still well known in Brazil, 13 years after the group’s legendary concert in the Maracana football stadium in Rio, which was named in the Guinness record book as the largest concert in the world.

Biggest in the world Alunorte is in the middle of its second expansion, which will be completed around the end of this year. Then Alunorte will be the biggest alumina operation in the world, strengthening its importance in securing Hydro access to alumina for the Norwegian plants. Hydro owns 34 percent of the alumina operation, which is located near Belen in northern Brazil in the Amazon delta. “The owners of Alunorte have decided on a third expansion,” says Olav Skalmeraas, head of Hydro’s office in Rio.

During Harket’s visit, there was time for a boat tour of on the Amazon and a visit to people living along the river. He saw examples of his great passion: orchids, bromeliads and insects. “I have been interested in insects and
orchids since I was a young boy,” says Harket. “I cultivated orchids and corals at home and it taught me about the fine balance in nature and the interdependence of species. My hope is that we can utilize the riches that nature provides us without going too far. I’m not a purist who believes that we can’t intrude into nature at all, but we must go about it sensibly.

“I think Hydro’s, and the world’s, ability to survive will be dependent on an understanding of the significance
of diversity. In this context, diversity should actually be one of Hydro’s values, but it fits well with my understanding that viability is a central Hydro goal.” Says Skalmeraas: “This visit was a real boost for Alunorte.

Morten Harket’s engagement in the balance between industrial development and nature came through loud and clear in conversations with management and employees. This is a fine way for us to show everyone working at Alunorte that it is important for Hydro, and that we have a strong focus on the responsibility we have as a company operating in a vulnerable and important area.”

Tone Dahle
 

http://www.hydro.com/library/attachments/en/press_room/publications/hi_06_2005/0005287_en.pdf