18 October 2022
Sweden’s Ministry of Defence rejects major investment in wind power in Blekinge
The Swedish Ministry of Defence opposes wind farms in Sölvesborg and Karlshamn. It says that if plans are implemented, three national interests will be negatively affected - the naval exercise area Hanö/Torhamn, Ronneby fleet airfield and Ravlunda firing range. This is because the Swedish Armed Forces has stated in an opinion that military activities in the area require unimpeded access to both waters and airspace.
Polarium welcomes Alecta, Formica Capital and Absolute Unlisted as new owners
In a coordinated transaction, Swedish pension company Alecta, together with Swedish investors Formica Capital and Absolute Unlisted (part of asset management company Coeli), have acquired a total of more than SEK 1.1 billion of existing Polarium shares. With this transaction, Polarium has expanded its circle of well-known owners, which already includes AMF, Vargas, Roosgruppen and Beijer Invest, among others. The deal is the latest of several major milestones for Polarium. Since its founding in 2015, Polarium has been working towards a more sustainable world through smart and modular energy storage solutions based on lithium-ion technology. The fast-growing Swedish unicorn has a CAGR of 150% between 2016 and 2021, a net turnover of SEK 1.1 billion and a profit (EBITDA) of SEK 83 million in 2021.
Wintershall to capture Germany's CO2 and send it to Norway
Wintershall Dea has announced a letter of intent with HES Wilhelmshaven Tank Terminal to build a carbon dioxide plant in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, called CO₂nnectNow. The companies want to facilitate the capture of carbon dioxide from German industry, transport it to the terminal facility, and then ship it to the Norwegian and Danish parts of the North Sea where it will be stored under the seabed. With CO₂nnectNow, the two companies aim to export more than 10 million tonnes of CO2 starting in 2028.
Alight and Tekniska verken build Sweden's largest co-located battery storage facility at solar park in Linköping
Alight and Tekniskaverken are adding battery storage to a 12 MW solar park in Linköping. The battery capacity is 2 MW/2 MWh, making the park the largest co-located battery storage in a Swedish solar park. Energy storage systems such as batteries are a source of flexibility that can help balance the grid and be an important factor in achieving gigawatt-scale renewable energy deployments in the grid. The battery storage facility will be operational in December 2022. Alight has developed, owns and manages the solar park. Tekniskaverken is the co-owner of the solar park and the batteries, as well as the owner of the grid and the land. Infranode is the main financier of the solar park and the batteries, while Varberg Energi advised Alight on the project and Soltech is installing the battery solution on site.
Residual logistics and by-product at Metsä Board create opportunities
In a collaborative project between North Sweden Cleantech, RISE Processum, Metsä Board and the municipality of Örnsköldsvik, a preliminary study was conducted focusing on what is needed to realise future scenarios through the establishment of innovative companies from the mill. In interviews with the business community, electric filter dust, crude methanol, bark, bio-sludge and biogenic CO2 have proved to be residues of particular interest to the companies involved in the preliminary study. Thus, the residual stream from Metsä Board's pulp and paperboard mill in Husum, Örnsköldsvik has the potential to create industrial symbiosis and new institutions. The city of Örnsköldsvik is currently meeting the results of the preliminary study by identifying areas of interest to potential commercial institutions in Husum. The area identified in the feasibility study is the most suitable from an integration and logistical point of view and is located next to the industrial tracks north of the plant.
Wärtsilä provides process solutions to produce LBG in Sweden
Wärtsilä Technologies Group offers a biogas upgrading and liquefaction process solution to reduce CO2 emissions during transportation and accelerate the transition to cleaner transportation. The process solution has been ordered by energy company St1 and is currently under construction at Borås Energy and Environment's plant in Sobacken, Sweden. The plant will use biogas from municipal waste and sewage treatment plants. The biogas is upgraded and liquefied into LBG, a renewable liquid transportation fuel. This will be the first plant of its kind to produce both LBG and biomethane (in gaseous form) for feed into the local natural gas network. In addition to the process solution, Wärtsilä will also provide a spare parts package and service agreement. The project has received support from the Swedish investment program Klimatklivet, which aims to support projects that reduce climate impact.
ABB's plant in Finland to be fully CO2 neutral
ABB's plant in Bolga, Finland, has achieved CO2-neutral operation, reducing CO2 emissions by 636 tonnes in the first year. By combining digital solutions, electrification and renewable technologies, the plant has taken an important step towards a more sustainable value chain. The 6,600 m2 factory, which produces installation products such as switches and wall sockets, dimmers and boxes for the Nordic smart building market, now uses 100% renewable energy. By using recycled plastic as a raw material, the carbon footprint has been further reduced by 106 tonnes per year. The electric car chargers for employees and visitors on site are also charged using renewable energy. Being completely free of fossil fuels, Bolga will be the world's newest ABB plant, utilising the latest technologies from ABB and its partners to achieve a carbon-neutral operation through the ongoing Mission to Zero™ programme. Mission to Zero is a concept for ABB's path towards carbon neutrality, both for its own facilities and for its customers.
What we're reading
- Jeremy Hunt scraps almost all mini-budget as Liz Truss battles to remain PM (BBC)
- Can an enormous seaweed farm help curb climate change? (BBC)
- BP to buy US renewable gas firm for $4.1 bn (France24)
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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