13 February 2023
Today's Top Nordic Green News:
- Record wind power production in the Nordics
- Vattenfall to reorient towards nuclear power under new Swedish government
- New investigation could hinder wind power in Sweden
- Gasum begins construction of first large-scale biogas plant in Sweden
- Denmark gets a green role in India's G20 chairmanship
- Finnish nuclear plant Olkiluoto 3 start is delayed
Record wind power production in the Nordics
In Finland, wind power broke its own monthly record by producing 1,900 GWh of electricity, becoming the second largest energy source after nuclear power. Electricity consumption decreased by 9% compared to last January, which can be partly explained by the mild winter, but also due to increased electricity user savings.
In Sweden, wind power broke a new daily record by producing more than 500 GWh last Thursday, due to windy weather and increased wind capacities. Moreover, the average electricity price dropped to 43 öre per KWh on Thursday and is expected to be around 75-80 öre per KWh in February, which is 70% lower than the average price in December.
Vattenfall to reorient towards nuclear power under new Swedish government
The Swedish Government, through the Tidö Agreement, has changed its energy policy goal from 100% renewable electricity production to 100% fossil-free (previously discussed by NGN here ). The course change will include ordering Vattenfall to start planning new nuclear power. Moreover, a new cabinet group, led by the Minister for Finance, Elisabeth Svantesson (M), has been established to ensure the procurement of nuclear power at Vattenfall, and will include representatives from the government parties and the Sweden Democrats (SD). The new cabinet group is SD’s entry point to Vattenfall’s board – the party’s main aim is to stop talk on wind power and to push for nuclear power instead.
New investigation could hinder wind power in Sweden
An investigation into incentives for the expansion of wind power in Sweden will be submitted to the government on 31 March. The investigator, Ulrika Liljeberg has received new directives after the election; she will no longer investigate whether it is the state or the private actors that finance the surrounding area to become more positive towards an expansion. Instead, the practitioners must pay the bill. making it more expensive for those who want to build wind power, especially on land. The proposal includes more than doubling the current costs of onshore wind power, to 4% through increased property and production tax, and will allow municipalities to direct a portion of the wind farm’s turnover to local benefits.
Gasum begins construction of first large-scale biogas plant in Sweden
Gasum, a Finnish company specialising in biogas production and distribution, has received a final building permit for its new biogas plant in Götene, Sweden. The new plant is set to produce 120 GWh of liquified biogas (LBG) per year starting in 2025, and will primarily use manure from the surrounding agricultural area as raw material. In addition to energy production, the plant will also produce environmentally friendly fertiliser, which will be returned to the farmers who provided the manure. The Götene plant is the first of five large-scale biogas plants that Gasum plans to build in Sweden.
Denmark gets a green role in India's G20 chairmanship
Denmark has been asked by India to help prepare the meeting’s discussion on climate and the environment at the upcoming G20 summit in September. This invitation is an expression of a further strengthening of the green strategic partnership between both countries. Denmark and India already have a close cooperation in the climate and environment area, where there is a particular demand for concrete green solutions for the ambitious Indian goals of delivering 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030.
The work must result in concrete recommendations, which must be discussed at the G20 meeting and be then reflected in the summit's final document. Recommendations for restoration of land and forest, circular economy, blue economy and water will be discussed.
Finnish nuclear plant Olkiluoto 3 start is delayed
The start of the Finnish nuclear power plant Olkiluoto 3 has been delayed due to a valve malfunction. The issue must be fixed before the test operation resumes. The continuous electricity production will start according to plans on 23 March 2023.
What we’re reading
- EU leaders back green subsidy drive but leave details to Brussels (Euractiv)
- Germany to auction “huge number” of hydrogen power plants – minister (Clean Energy Wire)
- Airline passengers face higher fares under new EU emissions rules (Financial Times)
- Saudi Arabia goes electric to launch homegrown car industry (Financial Times)
- Biomethane: rotten returns recede in positive what-whiff scenario (Financial Times)
About Nordic Green News
The Nordic countries are some of the most dynamic and successful economies in the world. They are also leaders in sustainability, from renewable energy, biofuels, carbon capture and storage and the hydrogen economy, circular economy business models and battery development, the Nordics are pioneers in policy design, technology development and consumer uptake. Mundus Nordic Green News is covering this transition for the international community. Every day we curate the stories of most relevance to international businesspeople and policy experts from the flow of news. Mundus Nordic Green Indices summarise the meta-data from our daily coverage to enable easy tracking of trends. We supplement these with our own opinion pieces and commentary.
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