13 October 2022
Norway to secure long-term place for natural gas in Europe's green transition
Norway and the EU are discussing securing a stable supply of natural gas to the EU and developing gas-centred industrial cooperation on this basis. This means expanding cooperation on carbon capture and storage and the production of blue hydrogen from natural gas. But this has to happen in cooperation between governments and the private sector, as commercial companies cannot unlock this issue alone. Norway has indicated that it does not want to intervene in the market and that there must be a solution consisting of a commercial framework. Such a framework could be a combination of gas transmission and industrial cooperation. The Czech Republic, which currently holds the EU Presidency, had its Minister for Industry and Trade, Josef Sikela, participate in negotiations with Equinor the previous day. During the negotiations, Sikela noted that long-term gas delivery and possible industrial cooperation with the EU were central. If the company receives a commitment to long-term compensation, Equinor will sell Norwegian gas to EU customers on long-term contracts. In the meantime, Equinor says it needs to capture the carbon dioxide and hydrogen in the gas in order to meet climate targets while using it.
SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall announce patent of new technology
This week, steel company SSAB, in which state-owned mining company LKAB is the largest shareholder, gathered most of the global steel industry in Stockholm to share lessons learned from the industry's transition to green steel. At the conference, the development company Hybrit, owned by SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall, announced that it had patented a significant part of its technology for the direct reduction of iron ore pellets to sponge iron using hydrogen. SSAB's assessment is that the technology they have developed could reduce the CO2 intensity of steel production to 25 kg per tonne of steel. The technology is eight times more efficient in terms of CO2 emissions than H2 Green Steel. Thus, SSAB's CEO says SSAB is in a clear leadership position in the search for virtually fossil fuel free steel production.
During the first day of the conference, SSAB CEO Martin Lindqvist said that the steel industry is facing something big together that no one has done before with its new technology. “Many customers are demanding these products. The steel industry can help other companies to reduce their CO2 emissions and develop better steel at the same time. If we do not make the changes today, society will have to pay the price in the future,” stated Lindqvist.
H2 Green Steel and Hydro Havrand collaborate
H2 Green Steel and Hydro Havrand have signed an agreement to explore large scale green hydrogen production projects in the Nordics and Brazil with the aim of using green hydrogen to accelerate the decarbonisation of heavy industry. In Brazil, the two companies aim to establish a greenfield project for the production of green hydrogen. If realised, the hydrogen production facility would produce approximately 5 million tonnes of green steel through direct iron reduction at a facility owned by H2 Green Steel. In addition, the parties are considering the delivery of green hydrogen to other sectors. The projects currently awaits successful feasibility studies and market conditions. The aim is to implement projects for the second half of this century.
Confederation of Swedish Enterprise publishes start-up plan for new nuclear power
The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise (Sw. Svenskt Näringsliv) has published the report "Start-up plan for new nuclear power." The purpose of the report is to describe what the new Government can do to fast-track the start-up of new nuclear power. If all the measures described in the report are implemented, the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise believes that new nuclear power could be in place by 2030 at the earliest. The report argues that today's regulations and authority governance have not been manipulated to facilitate investment in new nuclear power, but rather the opposite. However, by taking the recommended measures, they believe an equal investment climate can be achieved for all fossil-free energy types.
The report presents the following policy recommendations:
- Invest in existing hydropower and keep it running - without any loss of production.
- Make it possible to keep existing nuclear power in operation for much longer than the 60 years announced today.
- Build as much onshore wind power as possible.
- Be prepared to increase the maximum voltage level in the main grid from 400 kV to 800 kV.
- Reinforce a system based on new nuclear power and offshore wind power.
- Carefully evaluate additional foreign trade connections for stable operation of the Swedish electricity system.
EE North America to develop 10 GW of renewable energy projects in the US by 2026
EE North America, a subsidiary of Danish renewable energy company European Energy, has announced its goal to develop 10 GW of renewable energy in the United States by 2026. European Energy is currently active in 26 markets around the world and a developer of solar, wind and Power-to-X projects that produce green hydrogen, e-ethanol and jet fuel. EE North America recently opened a new office in Austin, Texas to support its development pipeline in the US. The company has purchased over 7,000 acres of land to develop its first solar project in the US, which includes 1 GW of solar capacity in Texas and other projects in the western US.
Stora Enso signs EUR 1 billion agreement to acquire De Jong Packaging Group
Stora Enso reported that it has signed a EUR 1 billion agreement to acquire De Jong Packaging Group, one of the largest producers of corrugated packaging in the Benelux. The company said that De Jong Packaging's product portfolio and geographical distribution would complement and enhance its offerings, particularly in the areas of fresh produce, e-commerce and industrial packaging. The company revealed that the acquisition will increase its corrugated packaging capacity from approximately 800 m³ to over 2 billion m³, providing a solid foundation for continued growth in key markets. It stressed that the European corrugated packaging market is fragmented and that local presence is key to sustainable growth. Stora Enso estimates that the acquisition will generate annual synergies worth approximately EUR 30 million over three years, mainly in terms of sourcing, consolidation optimisation and commercial opportunities.
"In line with our strategy, we are investing in growing our market share in renewable and circular packaging solutions,” said Annica Bresky, CEO of Stora Enso. “[The acquisition] supports our future strategic direction to advance renewable packaging solutions within Europe.”
Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies to transport hydrogen from Sweden to Germany and the Netherlands
Recently, Dutch and Swedish industry leaders came together to discuss opportunities for increased cooperation in the green energy transition and supply chain transformation. One of the outcomes of the discussions was an agreement between the ports of Rotterdam and Gothenburg on a green corridor between the two cities. This includes plans by Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies GmbH to use its liquid organic hydrogen carriers to transport up to 8,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year from Sweden to Germany and the Netherlands by 2026. The German company is working with Dutch storage tank company Royal Vopak and Get H2 to plan the import of hydrogen on an industrial scale as part of the Northern Green Cane project. The project will be realised by storing green hydrogen in liquid organic hydrogen carriers in Sweden, equipped with Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies' hydrogen refuelling unit. The hydrogen will be transported from Sweden to the Netherlands with the help 40 ships. In Sweden, half of the hydrogen will be supplied to industrial offtakers in ports and hinterland areas. The other half will be delivered to Lingen, Germany, and will be supplied to local industry and pipelines as part of the Get H2 programme.
Solör Bioenergi Recycling secures order from Irish company
Solör Bioenergi Recycling in Trollhättan is growing internationally as a new customer from Ireland has given them the task of processing treated wood for waste disposal in an environmentally friendly way. The operation in Trollhättan is one of the most important in Europe for the disposal of end-of-life wood, with the material being recycled and converted into energy. Solör Bioenergi Recycling is now focusing on further development in Europe as the company strives to pave the way for a sustainable society with reduced CO2 emissions through the use of forest resources.
Cellular agriculture spin-off project receives funding
Onego Bio, a spin-off company from the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, announced in September that it had received a grant worth EUR 4.5 million from the Finnish Business Centre. The Helsinki-based start-up says the funding will enable it to accelerate the development of a precision fermentation-based method for the production of egg whites, the world's most widely used animal protein. The method involves introducing a genetic blueprint for ovalbumin, the main protein in egg whites, into the cells of Trichoderma reesei, prompting the microbiota to start producing ovalbumin instead of its own protein. The growth of the microbiota is controlled in the bioreactor by controlling its access to glucose and nutrients to ensure the highest possible level of production.
Celltech Solutions Oy opens new plant for industrial battery systems in Tampere
Celltech Solutions Oy has opened its new plant for industrial battery systems in Tampere, with series production starting in early 2023. Since 2014, Celltech Solutions Oy has been preparing to open a battery systems plant by recruiting experts, securing a supply chain and designing battery systems to meet the needs of special industrial vehicles. One of the first customers is construction machine manufacturer Dynapac AB, whose electrified asphalt cutters will use battery systems supplied by Celltech Solutions. The new plant in Tampere is the first of its kind in Finland.
What we're reading
- Gas taps can still be turned on to EU, says Vladimir Putin (BBC)
- US, Germany back ‘fundamental reform’ of World Bank to scale climate finance (Climate Home)
- Chevron CEO blames western governments for energy crunch (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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