5 April 2023
Today's Top Nordic Green News:
- OX2 to develop offshore energy hub Neptunus in the Baltic Sea
- Finnish election winner reaffirms goal of climate neutrality by 2035
- Kåberger to leave Vattenfall Board as Swedish Government wants nuclear experts
OX2 to develop offshore energy hub Neptunus in the Baltic Sea
OX2 has announced that it will develop a new sea-based energy hub, called Neptunus, in the southern Baltic Sea, off the coast of Blekinge in Sweden. The energy hub will consist of offshore wind turbines and installations for converting electricity into hydrogen, and is expected to have an installed capacity of 1.9 GW, producing 8 TWh of electricity annually. The project is part of OX2's project development portfolio for Q1 2023, and the company anticipates that the energy hub will be operational by the early 2030s.
Finnish election winner reaffirms goal of climate neutrality by 2035
Petter Orpo, Chair of the National Coalition Party and prospective Prime Minister, has made a statement welcoming all parties to participate in Government negotiations. Orpo wishes to leave behind the divisiveness and potential animosity of the campaigning season. ”I want to have genuine conversations with all parties,” said Orpo. The Coalition Party will need to choose between the Social Democrats (SDP) and the Finns Party to form a majority Government. While the Coalition Party’s plan for major cuts to public spending does imply difficulties for cooperation with SDP, Orpo also reaffirmed his party’s intention to make Finland carbon neutral by 2035, which in turn entails trouble for working together with the Finns.
Kåberger to leave Vattenfall Board as Swedish Government wants nuclear experts
The Minister for Finance, Elisabeth Svantesson (M), has nominated a new board for Vattenfall, including three new members to strengthen the company's conditions and equip it for more nuclear power. The nominees are Ingemar Engkvist, Per Lindberg, and Carola Puusteli. Ingemar Engkvist, the former CEO of WANO, is proposed to take a seat on the board, while the nuclear power critic Tomas Kåberger is proposed to leave. Kåberger has called the idea of building nuclear power "economically hopeless.”
The government's view on the management of the company is to enable new nuclear power, according to the Chairman of the Committee on Industry and Trade, Tobias Andersson (SD).
Gasum aims to deliver 7 TWh of renewable gas annually from 2027, saving 1.8 million tonnes of CO2 emissions
Gasum, a Nordic energy company, aims to deliver 7 TWh of renewable gas annually to the market from 2027 (vs 1.7 TWh in 2022), which would result in a saving of 1.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. To achieve the new goal, Gasum will increase its biogas production and purchase more renewable gas from reliable partners. Gasum currently produces biogas at 17 facilities in Finland and Sweden from various waste streams. The company's new strategy emphasises sustainability, reducing emissions for customers and minimising the company's own emissions.
Gotlandsbolaget and Austal sign letter of intent to design hydrogen-powered high-speed catamaran
Swedish ferry company Gotlandsbolaget is in negotiations to sell its tankers, Wisby Atlantic and Wisby Pacific, in order to focus on passenger traffic and invest in ships that will allow for fossil-free travel in the coming years. The CEO of Gotlandsbolaget, Håkan Johansson, states that they want to develop the traffic to and from Gotland and invest in the ships of the future.
Gotlandsbolaget and Austal have signed a letter of intent to design a high-speed catamaran that can be powered by hydrogen, the Gotland Horizon X, to be used in Gotland traffic. The catamaran will be 130 metres long, have a speed of 35 knots, and be able to carry 1,650 passengers and 450 cars. Austal is known for designing and building fast ferries with high sustainability demands, and the collaboration with Gotlandsbolaget confirms its readiness to produce hydrogen-powered vessels.
What we’re reading
- ExxonMobil says low-carbon business could one day eclipse oil and gas (Financial Times)
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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