26 August, 2021

The future of Norway’s oil industry contested in election campaign

Following the recent IPCC and IEA reports, which both highlighted the urgency of the climate question, Norway’s reaction naturally turned to the future of its large oil industry. The Government’s line was that there was no need to make any changes, at least initially. However, in the testing nature of a campaign it is natural that this issue would be put to the voters. The Green Party (MDG) presented its roadmap today, calling for the transition from an oil-dominated economy to a green, future-oriented and renewable economy. MDG is going to the polls (and subsequent government negotiations) demanding a stop to the search for more oil and gas. Meanwhile, the opposiiton Labor Party, which is currently the largest party in the polls, is trending greener, but does not want to stop exploration yet. Labor leader Jonas Gahr Støre visited Equinor’s head office. He commented that “Equinor will greatly increase investments in renewable energy and low-carbon solutions over the next five years, up to fifty percent of investments, from four today … When Equinor can have such plans, it is because they already have the people and the expertise with them to make such a strong climate change.” (E24, press release).

Former Swedish political leader goes to biofuels firm

Emil Källström, economic political spokesman for the Center Party since 2014 has left politics for business, where he will be a Vice President at Sekab in Örnsköldsvik. Sekab is most known for its production of bio-ethanol. Källström follows in the footsteps of other Swedish political leaders who are making the move into the energy industry, including both former PM Fredrik Reinfeldt, who recently became the Chairman of Drivkraft Sverige, the organization representing the Swedish transport fuels industry and Anna Kinberg Batra, who also became the Chair of Svensk Solenergi. (Vaaju)

Everfuel launches investment in filling stations for hydrogen in Sweden

Everfuel has begun collaboration with Trelleborg municipality, setting up a first hydrogen filling station in the Nordic Hydrogen Corridor. The agreement between Everfuel and the municipality of Trelleborg is the first signed contract in the company's investment in establishing hydrogen stations in Sweden, enabling the first of potentially eight filling stations in a project co-financed by the European Union's CEF program. (Dagens Infrastruktur)

Carbon Centric to build the world's first full-scale carbon capture plant for waste incineration

Carbon Centric, which was spun out of Østfold Energi, is stepping into the carbon capture market, offering turnkey carbon capture plants for incineration plants. The company will now raise money to build a carbon capture plant at Østfold Energi's waste incineration plant in Rakkestad, south of Oslo. (press release)

What we’re reading

• With Emissions Rising, Why Are Nations ‘Building Back Badly’ From The Pandemic? (Forbes)
• Strict CO2 pricing should be anchor of German climate policy - gov't advisor (Clean Energy Wire)

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