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The British company will halt sales for the time being after the government announced Tuesday morning that it will investigate the trade further.
Correction: NTB announced for the first time that the sale of Bergen Engines had been stopped. This is not correct. Bergen Engines and Rolls Royce confirm to E24 that sales have not stopped, but have been suspended, pending government investigations. This was corrected at 18.14.
The government announced Tuesday morning that the National Security Authority (NSM) is considering stopping the sale.
NTB announced Tuesday afternoon that operations will now be halted, but shortly after, Rolls Royce and Bergen Engines will deny this to E24.
Merethe Fjeldstad, Bergen Engines communications manager, says there has been a misunderstanding.
– Rolls-Royce has not stopped the sale of Bergen Engines to TMH, but they have suspended the transaction while authorities do their investigations, he tells BT / E24.
This is also confirmed by Rolls-Royce spokesman Richard Wray. The company has said throughout the day that it will comply with the Norwegian authorities’ demand to temporarily halt the sale.
TMH International spokeswoman Isabelle Tourancheau tells BT / E24 that she is unaware that sales will stop.
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Norwegian authorities are considering halting the Russian takeover of Bergen Engines
Controversial sales
On February 4 of this year, it emerged that the owner of the Bergen Engines engine factory, Rolls-Royce, signed an agreement to sell the factory to TMH International.
Two of the largest owners of TMH are Russian oligarchs Iskander Makhmudov and Andrei Bokarev.
The sale has caused more people to react. According to Secretary General Geir Hønneland of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, there are many indications that buyers have close ties to the Russian regime.
The PST warns in a general way that the authorities of non-democratic countries can have a great influence on what business actors do.
The factory’s engines are used both on Norwegian coast guard ships, on the Norwegian intelligence ship “Marjata”, and by various allies, including the United States.
The Norwegian Armed Forces are now evaluating whether the sale may affect existing contracts and future deliveries.
The Chief of Defense threatens to withdraw from cooperation
Russia’s largest warship manufacturer, United Shipbuilding Corporation, wants to collaborate with Bergen Engines buyer TMH on a new diesel engine program. Diesel engines are the special area of Bergen Engines.
In the Storting, the opposition has reacted. Sp calls the sale a total scandal, Christian Tybring-Gjedde (Frp) and Bjørnar Moxnes in Rødt threaten a vote of no confidence.
One of Bergen Engines’ biggest customers is the Norwegian Navy. They are open to looking for new suppliers.
– If a company that delivers to the Armed Forces is sold to a player with whom we cannot have a security collaboration, then we must look for new suppliers. It’s that easy. So we cannot continue cooperation, Defense Chief Eirik Kristoffersen told TV 2 early Tuesday.
