Espen Moe, Operations Engineer and Head of Electrical Safety (DLE) at Svabo Industrinett, has recruited the industrial park's most enthusiastic summer workers. Throughout the summer, the coastal goats will keep vegetation under control beneath the power lines between Mo Industrial Park and Storforshei.

This Summer’s Most Unconventional Seasonal Workers

2 July, 2026 13:12 Del Del

This summer, Svabo Industrinett has recruited a workforce that requires neither brush cutters nor chainsaws. Around 30 coastal goats are grazing beneath power lines in Mo Industrial Park and along the route north towards Storforshei.

Throughout the summer, the goats will keep vegetation under control along several sections of the company’s power line corridors in and around the industrial park.

For Svabo, the initiative is expected to improve operational efficiency while reducing the need for manual vegetation clearing. Trees and shrubs growing too close to power lines can threaten the reliability of the electricity supply, making regular vegetation management essential.

“We have always carried out vegetation clearing using our own crews and mechanical equipment. That works well, but it is both time-consuming and resource-intensive. We therefore wanted to test an alternative solution on selected sections,” says Espen Moe, Operations Engineer and Head of Electrical Safety (DLE) at Svabo Industrinett.

The four-legged workers are leased from a local farmer. Using a satellite-based virtual fencing system, the goats are able to graze within designated areas without the need for traditional fences.

According to Moe, vegetation growth has increased noticeably in recent years, creating a greater need for maintenance.

“We’re seeing shrubs and young woodland grow rapidly in many locations. Goats are extremely effective at clearing deciduous trees, bushes and other vegetation that would otherwise have to be removed manually,” he says.

Svabo emphasizes that the goats are not replacing employees but serving as a valuable complement to the company’s regular maintenance programme.

“If the goats can take care of part of the vegetation management, our crews can spend more time on other important tasks throughout the power network. It’s all about making the best possible use of our resources,” says Moe.

Whether the initiative will continue in the coming years will largely depend on the experience gained during this summer’s grazing season.

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