20 November 2021

We apologise for the delays to Nordic Green News. The Bright Green Summit has pre-occupied us this week.

Nordic Council: climate-friendly solutions need simplifying

The Nordic Council has addressed the over-consumption of Nordic citizens in Nordic countries – highlighting the importance of simplified climate-friendly solutions offered to private consumption. A four-year cross-sectoral programme funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers is to tackle this challenge expanding guidelines to include analyses within lifestyle change challenges to build solutions for behavioural, cultural, and structural changes that promote sustainability. By 2024, a total of six projects will seek to make it more attractive and simpler for Nordic citizens to make green, sustainable choices in all areas of day-to-day life (Press release).

SSAB and Lindab collaborate: Fossil free steel

SSAB and Lindab further their partnership through a collaboration on fossil free steel. Starting 2026, SSAB will deliver fossil free steel to Lindab for use in ventilation and construction systems. Together, the two partners target a reduction of carbon emissions from the construction- and ventilation sector without tampering with product quality (Press release).  

Epiroc climate targets validated by SBTi

Epiroc has seen its climate targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The targets regard reducing its carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 which are now aligned with science-based requirements to achieve the 1.5-degree Paris Agreement target. Epiroc’s 50% reduction regards its own carbon emissions (Scope 1 & 2). However, 83% of all emissions arise from Epiroc’s customers upon using its products. Thus, the company has committed to halving its carbon emissions from the use of sold products (Scope 3) by 2030 (Press release).  

Ovako commits climate targets to SBTi

Ovako has committed its long-term climate targets (carbon neutral steel production by January 2022) to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Additionally, Ovako aims to reduce carbon emissions in its own operations by 90%, and in its value chain by 70%, by 2040. The company’s targets are now submitted for validation by the SBTi, where a validation would mean that Ovako’s targets are aligned to fulfilling the 1.5-degree Paris Agreement target (Press release).

Finland votes against EU taxonomy

Finland’s government will vote against the EU’s taxonomy proposal, according to a message announced by the Ministerial Committee. In the decision, Finland’s government praises several technical criteria of the classification system – however not in its current version, alluding to difficult-to-understand and ambiguous technical criteria in the forestry sector. Furthermore, the Government is critical of the omission of nuclear power in the taxonomy, as well as the classification of hydropower and bio energy, which is different compared to other low-emission energy alternatives (Aktuell Hållbarhet).    

ChargeNode raises SEK 115 million investment from Formica Capital

ChargeNode has raised an SEK 115 million investment to accelerate Swedish and international expansion of its charging technology for electric vehicles. The investment from Formica Capital, a Swedish investment company focused on companies that offer climate effective solutions, will help ChargeNode scale its charging solution that aims to replace conventional charging posts by reducing operating costs and energy demand. ChargeNode has sold over 4,000 charging points to households, hotels and golf clubs across Sweden during a 1.5-year period (Press release).

LKAB and Boliden collaborate to recycle mining waste and create circular products

LKAB and Boliden have signed an agreement to collaborate on recycling processes of mining waste and creating circular products. The Swedish mining companies will investigate the opportunity of extracting pyrite concentrate from mining waste at Boliden’s Aitik mine, which LKAB will process into fossil-free sulphuric acid. Thereafter, sulphuric acid is subsequently used in extracting rare earth elements and phosphorus from LKAB’s mining waste. To this end, the plan is for Boliden to establish a pyrite concentrate production plant while LKAB establishes plants for sulphuric acid production from the concentrate. The production plants can be operational in 2027 if they are subject to efficient environmental permit processes (Press release, press release).

Ocean Hyway Cluster receives Arena Pro status

Ocean Hyway Cluster is one of four clusters to receive the Arena Pro status from the start of 2022 to 2027. The status is part of Norway’s innovation and development instrument, Innovation Norway, where a promotion from Arena to Arena Pro status signals a stronger Norwegian investment in hydrogen as an alternative energy source for decarbonising the maritime sector. Additionally, the new status serves as an important vote of confidence in Ocean Hyway Cluster, enabling them to further develop the industry and create new opportunities, value, and export opportunities for Norway (Skips revyen).

PowerCell receives SEK 7 million order for fuel cell system

PowerCell Sweden AB has received an order valued at SEK 7.2 million from H2FLY, the German aviation start-up company, for several fuel cell systems. The fuel cell systems are planned for use in the development of H2FLY’s powertrain solutions for aircrafts. The interest in hydrogen-electric is rapidly growing within the aviation sector, where PowerCell has received several orders from the industry over the last 1.5 years according to Richard Berkling, CEO of PowerCell. H2FLY expects a delivery of the fuel cell systems in 2022 (Q1) (Press release).

Sandvik to acquire Gerling GmbH for innovative hydrogen solutions

Sandvik has signed an agreement to acquire Gerling GmbH, a German-based precision tube engineering company, for innovative engineering solutions in the hydrogen market. The transaction is expected to close during 1Q22, whereby Gerling will be reported in Tube, a division within Sandvik Material Technology. The acquisition sees Sandvik increase the opportunities in the hydrogen refuelling stations market, accelerate the expansion of co-created mobile tubing container solutions, as well as precision tubing for medical applications (Press release).

Metacon 3Q21 report

Metacon has presented its quarterly report for 3Q21 – reporting an increase in turnover and doubling the number of employees. Metacon is experiencing a rapid growth according to Christer Wikner, CEO of Metacon, alluding to the billion-level investments in green hydrogen (Börsvärlden, Press release). 

What we’re reading

• Parties confident to agree coalition treaty, new German government by end of November (Clean Energy Wire)
• French government pledges further €1.9bn for hydrogen (ICIS)

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