Porsgrunn is a town and a municipality in Grenland in Vestfold
and Telemark county. The municipality includes the former urban
municipalities of Brevik and Porsgrunn and the rural municipality of
Eidanger. Porsgrunn borders in the north to Skien and Siljan, in the
east towards Larvik in Vestfold, and in the west towards Bamble. The
highest point is Fjerdingen, 360 masl. The municipality is part of
the area called Grenland.
The city center itself has around
13,000 inhabitants.
Porsgrunn town is located at the mouth of
the Telemark watercourse and is an important industrial town. It is
named after a shallow in the river that was overgrown with porcupine
(Myrica gale).
Of the business activities in Porsgrunn, the
process industry dominates. Previously, this business was part of
Norsk Hydro, but today Yara and Ineos operate the processing plants
for fertilizers and polymers, and are Porsgrunn's largest industrial
employers. Yara, one of the world's largest fertilizer factories, is
located here. Bilfinger Industrial Services Norway AS, Equinor, RHI
Normag AS, Porsgrunds Porselænsfabrik, Isola AS, BEHA, Eramet and
Norcem are other important industrial players in Porsgrunn. Many of
the businesses are located in Herøya Industrial Park. For industry,
all infrastructure is in place; power grids, steam, gas supply and
ports. It is therefore attractive for companies to establish
themselves in the municipality.
2300 students attend the
University of Southeast Norway, Porsgrunn.
A double-track
railway between Porsgrunn and Larvik was completed in 2018. Work is
underway to connect the Vestfold line and the Sørlands line via the
Grenlands line. Such a connection will make Porsgrunn one of Eastern
Norway's most important hubs.
Porsgrunn is part of Gea
Norvegica Geopark.