World Tunnel Congress 2017

Rapid population growth, increased urbanisation and climate change in the decades ahead will require major infrastructure investments and wide use of underground solutions.

Urbanisation encourage underground solutions

For the first time in history, more than half of the world’s population live in cities. The lack of new urban space means that infrastructure must be planned underground. Accordingly, the use of the underground needs to be carefully and coherently engineered with sustainability in mind.

New infrastructure must take into account, that future tunnels and underground facilities must be employed to protect critical infrastructure from the forces of nature and human interference. Strategic assets for oil and gas, information technology and communications, and civil defence are increasingly being housed in extremely secure locations, such as large rock caverns. This ensures their operability even when disaster strikes.

More renewables necessary

Climate mitigation may be important, but climate solutions are even more so. Norway is even today a major supplier in the renewable energy network thanks to the high number of Hydro Electric Power plants. The demand for more green energy is sought-after all over the world and Norway have this expertise.