Kvande received his Ph.D. in 1972 from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and in 1979, defended his thesis for the Norwegian degree of Doctor Technicae from the same university.

Kvande received his Ph.D. in 1972 from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and in 1979, defended his thesis for the Norwegian degree of Doctor Technicae from the same university. He started his career with Hydro Aluminum in 1980. His major field of interest has been research and development on the Hall-Héroult process for primary production of aluminum. From 1990 to 2005, he also served as an adjunct professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. From 2009 to 2011, he was professor and Qatalum Chair in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Qatar University in Doha, Qatar. In 2012, he retired from his position as chief engineer at Hydro in Oslo, Norway.

Kvande is the author or co-author of more than 150 scientific and technical papers, as well as five books on aluminum electrolysis and related topics. His research work has been appraised in the form of several TMS awards and honors, including his contribution (as a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) to the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.