17 April 2023
Today's Top Nordic Green News:
- Johan Rockström one of Times Most Influential of 2023
- Vestas 15 MW offshore wind turbine reaches maximum power output, becoming world's largest operational wind turbine
- Electricity consumption in Finland decreases by 6% in 2022, while wind power production reaches a new record
Johan Rockström one of Times Most Influential of 2023
The Swedish climate researcher Johan Rockström is one of this year’s 100 most influential people in the world. Rockström, who is the Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, told the broadsheet that it was “unexpected” to end up on the list with the world’s most influential people, which includes state leaders and pop icons like Beyoncé. The Times motivated Rockström’s work as helping to “pioneer the concept of ‘planetary boundaries,’ environmental guidelines and limits that people need to operate within in order to keep humanity safe.” The British broadsheet also pointed out that Sweden produced two of the most important people in the battle to save the planet: Johan Rockström and Greta Thunberg.
Vestas 15 MW offshore wind turbine reaches maximum power output, becoming world's largest operational wind turbine
Vestas has announced that its V236-15MW offshore wind turbine has reached its nominal power rating of 15MW, making it the largest operational wind turbine in the world. The turbine, which has been installed at a test site in Denmark since December, features 115.5-metre blades and a maximum tip height of 280 metres. The company has no plans to go bigger than 15MW, according to CEO Henrik Andersen. However, other manufacturers such as China's Goldwind and MingYang Smart Energy have models of 16MW and 18MW in development.
Electricity consumption in Finland decreases by 6% in 2022, while wind power production reaches a new record
According to preliminary data from Statistics Finland, electricity consumption decreased by 6% in 2022, while wind power production reached a new record and accounted for 14.1% of electricity consumption. Fossil-free electricity production rose to a record 75% of electricity consumption. The decrease in electricity consumption was influenced by the end of electricity imports from Russia, increased energy prices, warmer weather and a national electricity-saving campaign. The wood processing industry's strike also reduced electricity usage. Nuclear power remained the largest source of electricity, accounting for 30% of total consumption, while hydropower produced 16% and solar power 0.5%. The net import of electricity decreased by 30% from the previous year, with Sweden remaining the largest net importer.
Wärtsilä and partners receive NOK 58.85 million for development of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier for clean energy transport
Wärtsilä, Höegh LNG and other partners have received NOK 58.85 million from the Norwegian government for a project that aims to develop ammonia as a hydrogen carrier for the energy market. The joint project will improve the availability of large-scale storage and transport of clean energy. The project aims to do this by developing a system to convert ammonia back into hydrogen to enable efficient large-scale conversion of ammonia back to hydrogen at the receiving destination. The purpose of the project will be to improve the infrastructure for the large-scale transport of ammonia by sea, which already exists in the form of a fleet of gas tankers.
SCA plans facility for climate-neutral aviation fuel, but construction uncertain due to energy requirements
SCA, a Swedish paper mill company, is working on a project to build a facility for climate-neutral aviation fuel at Östrandsfabriken in Timrå. However, the construction is uncertain as it requires a significant amount of green electricity, and the company must first finish building 3 TWh of wind power on its land, equivalent to 2% of Sweden's current energy consumption.
Finnish companies Caverion and St1 Lähienergia partner to offer geothermal energy solutions
Finnish companies Caverion and St1 Lähienergia have announced a partnership in geothermal energy, combining Caverion's building technology and heat pump expertise with St1's geology, geophysics and drilling technology. Nine people from St1's installation and project management unit will transfer to Caverion. St1 Nordic will continue to develop geothermal heat production and advanced geothermal solutions will play a significant role in the transition to emission-free heat production. The partnership aims to offer competitive solutions for heating housing associations and commercial properties. Ville Tamminen, Caverion's Finnish division manager, stated that they can offer more versatile sustainable solutions for geothermal energy and implement large-scale geothermal solutions, promoting energy wisdom one property at a time, as more customers express interest in using geothermal energy.
What we’re reading
- G7 pledges to quit fossil fuels faster but fails to agree on new deadline (Le Monde)
- Key excerpts from G7 statement on energy and climate change (Reuters)
- John Kerry defends oil-rich UAE hosting UN climate talks (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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