Brenselslagringen kan være et avvik.

It is a compound noun:

• brensel = fuel
• lagring = storage
• brenselslagring = fuel storage
• brenselslagringen = the fuel storage

So the whole sentence starts with one long noun that means a specific fuel storage arrangement or storage area.

Because Norwegian usually adds the definite article to the end of the noun.

So instead of a separate word like English the, Norwegian often uses an ending:

• en lagring = a storage
• lagringen = the storage

In this sentence, -en at the end of brenselslagringen already means the.

That -s- is a common linking sound in Norwegian compounds. It is often called a linking s.

So:

• brensel
  • lagring
• becomes brenselslagring

It does not usually add a separate meaning by itself. It just helps the compound sound natural. English learners often want every letter to have a clear meaning, but in compounds this linking s is often just part of normal word formation.

Kan is the modal verb can / may, and være means be.

Together, kan være means something like:

• can be
• may be
• might be

In this sentence, it shows possibility rather than certainty. So the speaker is not saying it definitely is a deviation/non-conformity, only that it may be one.

Because kan is a modal verb, and after a modal verb Norwegian normally uses the infinitive form of the main verb.

So:

• kan være = can be
• not kan er

This is similar to English:

• can be
• not can is

Also, after modal verbs like kan, skal, vil, må, you do not use å before the infinitive.

Because avvik is a neuter noun in Norwegian, so it takes et in the indefinite singular.

• et avvik = a deviation / a non-conformity

This is something learners simply have to memorize with the noun. Norwegian nouns can be common gender or neuter, and avvik is neuter.

Because the sentence is classifying the subject, not pointing to one specific already-known deviation.

When Norwegian says that something is something, it often uses an indefinite noun for classification:

• Det er et problem = It is a problem
• Dette er en feil = This is an error
• Brenselslagringen kan være et avvik = The fuel storage may be a deviation/non-conformity

If you said avviket, it would sound more like the deviation, referring to a specific known one.

Yes. This is standard Norwegian main-clause word order:

• Brenselslagringen = subject
• kan = finite verb
• være = infinitive
• et avvik = subject complement

So it follows the normal pattern:

subject + finite verb + rest of sentence

Nothing unusual is happening with the syntax here.

Avvik often means:

• deviation
• discrepancy
• irregularity
• non-conformity

The best translation depends on context. In technical, administrative, safety, or inspection contexts, avvik often means something like a non-conformity or something that does not meet the requirements.

So this sentence sounds more formal or technical than everyday casual speech.

No. Norwegian verbs do not change for person in the way English sometimes does.

So you get:

• jeg kan
• du kan
• han kan
• vi kan

The form kan stays the same. That makes Norwegian verb conjugation simpler than English in this area.

Potentially both, depending on context. Nouns ending in -ing often refer to an action or process, but they can also refer more broadly to the storage arrangement or storage practice.

So brenselslagringen might mean:

• the storage of fuel as a process
• the fuel storage setup
• the fuel storage area/system

In a sentence with et avvik, it often sounds like an inspection or compliance statement, so it may refer to the storage arrangement or the way fuel is stored.