23 September 2022
Multi-billion SEK investment in Sweden's first meat substitute plant
According to calculations by the Boston Consulting Group, if consumption of plant protein followed the company's projections it could reduce CO2 emissions by the equivalent of almost the entire aviation industry - 85 million tonnes, according to BCG's calculations. This means that every penny invested in plant protein could save three times the emissions of the next most effective measure.
To become part of the rapidly growing plant protein industry, Lantmännen will invest more than SEK 1 billion in its first pea protein plant in Sweden. They are developing pea protein as a plant-based alternative to meat. The SEK 1 billion is partly financed by an EU investment programme to make the industry more environmentally friendly in Europe. The new plant is being built in Linköping and is expected to be completed in early 2026. Electricity prices are expected to be high due to the plant being located in southern Sweden (SE3), but according to Magnus Kagevik, Lantmännen's CEO, this has not affected the plans for the new plant because they can use a lot of steam in the process. Lantmännen says it will also sell the protein to other food companies in Sweden and abroad.
Cemvision receives SEK 25 million and wants to convert to zero-cycle emissions
Swedish cement company Cemvision wants to put an end to emissions and lime mining. Instead of virgin lime, they want to reuse industrial waste containing this material. In addition, they wanted to use electric ovens instead of burning waste and coal, as is traditionally the case. According to the company, Cemvision's material already produces 20% lower emissions than any other cement on the market. The company has now raised SEK 25 million in a so-called "pre-seed" round of funding led by Polar Structure and Backing Minds, with Swecem, a Peab Group company, also an investor. So far, Cemvision has focused on developing new products and finding suitable partners. With the new capital, the company will invest in making the organisation grow, developing the infrastructure and building the market.
HEXICON selects turbine Chinese giant MingYang for TWINHUB project in the UK
World-leading turbine manufacturer China Ming Yang has been awarded the opportunity to supply wind turbines to Hexicon's TwinHub project off the south west coast of England. The TwinHub project has been funded by the UK government for 15 years and the 32MW project, equivalent to the electricity consumption of approximately 45,000 households, will start delivering renewable electricity sometime between 2025 and 2027. The project is expected to lead to further innovation and cost reductions in floating wind power, which will benefit not only UK electricity consumers, but also the transition to fossil-free energy systems globally.
SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall's joint venture Hybrit has put the pilot fossil-free hydrogen storage plant into operation
SSAB, LKAB and Vattenfall have now put Hybrit's pilot facility for storing fossil-free hydrogen in Luleå into operation. The commissioning of the rock storage facility is an important step in the development of an integrated value chain for fossil-free steel production. A two-year test period now begins until 2024. The pilot plant in Luleå is the first in the world to test hydrogen refilling and evacuation technology. The size of the pilot plant is 100 cubic metres, with the possibility of storing 100,000 to 120,000 cubic metres of pressurised hydrogen in a complete warehouse at a later stage. This means storing 100 GWh of electricity converted into hydrogen, which is enough to supply a full-size sponge iron plant for about three to four days.
The Industrisupport plant in Åmål AB using Azelio’s energy storage is now in operation
Sweden's first commercial project using Azelio's energy storage solutions has been commissioned at Industrisupport in Åmål AB, Sweden. The storage solution includes two POD units, which use solar cells to charge and divert excess energy to meet demand and create renewable base load power. The system will also provide heat to Åmål AB's Industrisupport, which reduces reliance on the district heating network. Industrisupport i Åmål AB owns a 22,000 m2 industrial hotel with premises leased to industrial customers. The operation of the storage unit will be managed by Azelio for the first three years.
Sweden's largest battery warehouse set up by Ingrid Capacity
Ingrid Capacity has established Sweden's largest battery storage system in Karlshamn, with a capacity of 70 MW, opposite to E.ON's regional network. The effect can be compared to the consumption of a medium-sized city with 100,000 inhabitants when electricity is most needed. With battery storage of this scale, Svenska kraftnät's need to establish a balance in the main national grid is also facilitated. The grid is stabilised by storing energy in batteries at low power consumption and then driving energy during local, regional and national power peaks.
NOTE begins manufacturing partnership with Ferroamp in Greentech
Last year, NOTE began a manufacturing partnership with the fast-growing Swedish greentech company Ferroamp, which develops the EnergyHub system, a system that integrates solar energy, energy storage, electric vehicle charging and DC loads in one intelligently controlled and real-time monitoring system. NOTE manufactures the electronics and complete systems at its factory in Norrtälje. With the recent sharp increase in demand for Ferroamp products, the company will now face a strong expansion and expects revenues to reach approximately SEK 120 million with NOTE by 2023.
The future of aviation fuel will have its own laboratory
The Jet Engine Laboratory is located at the LTH Aviation School in Ljungbyhed and is used by researchers from the faculties of aviation, energy science, physics and chemical engineering. It also has close links with the commercial world that produces several of the fuels being tested. At the laboratory, which is now also equipped with complete aircraft engines to test new fuels, Elna Heimdal Nilsson, university lecturer in combustion physics at LTH, says aircrafts must be powered by renewable fuels by 2045. To achieve this goal, knowledge of aircraft engines and fuel composition must be increased. She says that the Jet Engine Laboratory can study the interaction between fuel and engine on a realistic scale in a realistic environment, something we have not been able to do before. Meanwhile, Elna said that a new fuel being developed by researchers could take as little as 10 years to bring into use. The certification process for aviation fuels takes a particularly long time because the safety level is so high. And it requires a comprehensive understanding of how the new fuel interacts with the ecosystem and climate, and how it affects health and nature.
SEMCO MARITIME, INOCEAN and ISC Consulting Engineers join forces
Semco Maritime and ISC Consulting Engineers, based in Denmark, and Inocean, a subsidiary of Technip Energies, based in Norway and Sweden, have announced a partnership that brings together Semco Maritime and ISC's experience through floating structures for floating wind turbines and major floating oil and gas superstructure design work. The team has developed a reliable, cost effective and scalable floating offshore substation concept for the market to assist customers in the maturation, development and construction phases of floating offshore wind projects. While floating wind turbine technology is usually well known in the market, floating substations are still a concept in a mature stage of the market.
Barents Blue receives NOK 482 million in state aid
EFTA's monitoring programme ESA has approved NOK 482 million in state aid for Horisont Energi and the Barents Blue project, which aims to develop a method of producing blue ammonia, which has almost zero CO2 emissions. The plant will be built in Markoppneset outside Hammerfest. Final confirmation of IPCEI support confirms the potential and innovative capacity of the Barents Blue project. Blue ammonia is produced from natural gas and carbon capture and can be rapidly scaled up to contribute to the decarbonisation of European industry and transport.
European Commission grants IPCEI status to P2X Solutions' hydrogen project
The European Commission grants IPCEI status to Finnish P2X Solutions' green hydrogen and synthetic methane production plant project. Hydrogen projects from different parts of Europe that have been granted IPCEI status can access government subsidies more flexibly than usual and aims to have the maximum possible positive spillover effect on the European hydrogen value chain, research and society. The site for P2X Solutions' first industrial-scale green hydrogen and renewable synthetic methane production plant at Harjavalla is moving from preparation work to the construction of the plant. According to the schedule, the Harjavalla facility will be completed by 2024. As part of the IPCEI project, the company is currently working with Savon Voima on the construction of a hydrogen and electric fuel production facility in Joensuu. P2X Solutions aims to reach 1,000 MW of electrolysis capacity by 2031.
What we're reading
- Energy crunch threatens to shatter European unity, warns IEA boss (Financial Times)
- Europe’s dark, expensive winter (Financial Times)
- FFI signs $80m research deal in US – “now the best place for green hydrogen investment” (RenewEconomy)
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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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