Fire extinguished at Tjeldbergodden methanol plant

At a glance

A fire broke out at the methanol plant at Tjeldbergodden, resulting in the evacuation of personnel and the shutdown of the air separation plant and methanol plant. Emergency services responded and the fire was extinguished within an hour. No injuries were reported, and Equinor is currently assessing the consequences and cause of the fire. Their priorities in a crisis are to ensure the safety of people, protect the environment, and preserve the technical integrity of the plant and their industrial interests.

A fire with smoke development was reported Wednesday 2 December at 14:40 in a compressor house at the methanol plant at Tjeldbergodden. Emergency services were dispatched and police, fire and health services are at the scene. The fire was put out at 15:40.

When the fire started, both the air separation plant and the methanol plant were shut down. Personnel at the factory were evacuated and all emergency response procedures were implemented. Equinor's emergency response organisation was mustered and authorities were notified.

Nobody was injured in the fire. We are working to get an overview of the consequences and the cause of the fire.

Equinor has clear priorities in a crisis. Our first priority is to attend to the people who are involved in the situation, then, the environment and our surroundings, and finally to protect the technical integrity of the plant and our industrial interests.