24 November 2021

Greens leave Sweden's Government

IKEA to eliminate plastic packaging by 2028

By 2028 IKEA will have fully phased out its use of plastic packaging. Its " goal is to reduce plastic waste and pollution while IKEA is involved in driving the transition to packaging made from renewable and recycled materials." The phasing out will take place in several stages, and will initially include all new products, with the long-term goal being to phase out packaging made out of fossil raw materials across IKEA’s entire product-range. “It can be anything from the small bag with screws in the flat furniture package to the simple plastic sheet used as protection. About ten percent of the packaging material we use consists of different types of plastic […] This is no small change, and we hope to push the entire packaging industry,” explained Maja Kjellberg, Packaging Development Leader at IKEA ​​Sweden. (press release, DN Ekonomi)

Dana Inc to build massive manufacturing factory in Sweden

US manufacturing company Dana Inc has plans to build one of the world's largest factories for engines intended for heavier vehicles in Dalarna county. The total cost of investment will come to roughly SEK 450 million, and there will be roughly 80 employees. Production, which will see the manufacturing of engines for buses and trucks, among other things, is reported to start within one year. According to the daily, Dana Inc regards Sweden as an attractive site for its new factory due to the availability of green electricity and industrial know-how. “Our focus at Dana is to build technical solutions that support the development of electric vehicles and that are designed and manufactured with sustainability in mind. Sweden is a leader in renewable energy with 98% carbon dioxide-free energy production. This gives us the opportunity to manufacture our products in a more sustainable way, reduce our climate footprint and contribute to achieving a future with zero emissions,” stated CEO Antonio Valencia (press release, DN Ekonomi).

IONITY to build 5,000 fast charging points by 2025: Strengthens Audi charging network

IONITY will invest DKK 700 million in its High-Power-Charging network through establishing more than 5,000 charging points by 2025. The joint venture, which Volkswagen is a partner in through its subsidiary brands Porsche and Audi, will increase the number of 350 kW charging points from 1,500 to 7,000 in proximity to capital cities and congested roads. Additionally, there are plans to purchase land for the establishment of resting areas that include charging stations or charging parks with shops and restaurants to significantly improve the customer experience (Press release).

FREYR joins Fair Cobalt Alliance

FREYR has joined the Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA) in an ambition to contribute to the development of a sustainable global battery industry. FCA is an alliance of cobalt producers and industrial users that aid small-scale mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in improving its environmental- and human rights on an international level by certifications on working conditions by mining facilities. Other members of the FCA are Tesla and Volvo (Press release).

New partnership to deploy Direct Air Capture projects in Norway

Norway’s Carbon Removal has entered a partnership with Carbon Engineering and Oxy Low Carbon Ventures to work together on deploying large-scale commercial Direct Air Capture (DAC) projects in Norway – starting with a DAC facility capable of capturing between 500,000 and 1,000,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere annually. The aim is to deliver a facility that permanently captures CO2 from the air and safely stores it below the seabed in an effort to accelerate Norwegian net-zero emission targets in a cost-efficient way (Tu Energi, Press release).

Norwegian offshore wind technology receives funding

Enova, an agency of the Ministry of Climate and Environment in Norway, has funded the Flagship-project with NOK 124.2 million for testing new solutions for floating offshore wind platforms. Aker Solutions AS, together with Iberdrola, Olav Olsen and other companies from Norway, Spain and Denmark are behind the project and plan to build a pilot to be installed and tested offshore Karmøy, Norway. Enova’s funding, allocated to Aker Solutions AS will be invested in the development of the wind floater and towards a concept for mass-producing the concrete constructions in the structure. The wind floater concept 00-Star from Olav Olsen combined with the concrete construction enables an easier diffusion potential of the technology, which underlies the ambition of the project (Press release).    

Enova funds hydrogen powered fishing vessel

Enova, an agency of the Ministry of Climate and Environment in Norway, has granted Loran, a Norwegian shipping company, NOK 92.5 million for the development of a green fishing vessel. Loran’s idea is targeting a hybrid solution that includes two 185 kW fuel cells and a 2000 kWh battery on top of conventional diesel engines to reduce the use of fossil fuels by 40% during its 4–6-week journey. Although the solution does not render net-zero emissions, actors targeting the reduction of emissions in hard-to-abate sectors such as the fishing sector are welcomed in Norway according to Espen Barth Eide (AP), Minister of Climate and Environment in Norway (Tekniske Nyheter).

Liquid Wind receives SEK 151 million investment grant for e-methanol facility

Liquid Wind has received a SEK 151 million investment grant from Klimatklivet to build Sweden’s first production facility, FlagshipONE, for the production of e-methanol. FlagshipONE will be built in proximity to Övik Energi’s biofuel-based cogeneration plant in Örnsköldsvik and enter its construction phase in 2022 (spring) and start production of e-methanol in 2024. The facility will use Bio-CO2 from the cogeneration plant and green hydrogen, sourced from wind power to produce 50,000 tonnes of e-methanol annually (Press release).

SENS enters as partner in NewSETS energy storage project

SENS announced that its subsidiary, Pumped Hydro Storage AB has entered as a partner in a consortium led by Flexens Oy AB that was granted EUR 4.1 million in EU funding. The NewSETS (New energy storages promoting Sustainable Energy Transition in Societies) project will primarily focus on two new energy storage solutions – Underground pumped storage and seasonal heat storage. During the 3-year period, the NewSETS project will mainly regard pre-studies for heat storage, market analyses and system analyses but also communicate the different energy storage solutions’ ability to support a sustainable energy supply. NewSETS started in 2021 (summer) and expected to communicate its results via the website (Press release).

News from our sponsors

• BASF is accelerating the implementation of its CO2 reduction targets (press release)

What we’re reading

• France will aim for a deal between EU countries to instate a carbon border adjustment mechanism (Politico)
• German parties agree on 2030 coal phase-out in coalition talks (Reuters)
• COP26 Finds Its Scapegoats – India and China (The Diplomat)