Norway’s SINTEF will invest NOK 45 million in SINTEF Battery Lab, to provide Norwegian players with technical support. The Lab means world-class battery researchers will assist customers in developing, verifying technologies before scaling up to factory level. SINTEF has invested into the laboratory, but hopes to receive significant support from the Research Council's infrastructure program. Alexandra Bech Gjørv, CEO of SINTEF, sais that now a domestic battery industry is established, Norway must take advantage of the window of opportunity. If successful in establishing battery cell production, Norway hopes to have battery turnover worth NOK 90 billion per year and employ 20,000 people by 2030. (Gemini)
Växjö Energi aims to have a full-scale facility for carbon capture in operation by 2027. The Swedish Energy Agency has given the company a grant within the framework of Industrial Life. The facility will capture CO2 from biofuels that are already climate neutral. According to Växjö Energi's calculations, there is potential to capture approximately 180 kt p.a. of CO2. The grant from the Swedish Energy Agency will cover 50% of the costs for starting up the project over the next two years. (press release)
Sweden's coastline is approximately 1,000km longer than Germany's, yet despite this, Germany has installed more than 40 times the amount of offshore wind power than Sweden. According to Sara Fogelström, a researcher at Chalmers University of Technology and Director of the Swedish Wind Power Technology Centre “The biggest hurdle in Sweden is that the price of electricity is so low. The cheapest energy source today is land-based wind power. But at sea, it is still too expensive, even if prices are rapidly declining”. To make matters worse, the suggested areas where Sweden has deemed it plausible for further offshore wind power expansion has faced scathing criticism, with several researchers deriding the plans for being based on outdated technology. According to the Swedish Wind Energy association, along with several independent researchers, the designated areas are unnecessarily small, and that the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management’s (Havs- och vattenmyndigheten, HVM) report that presented the plans was lacking overall. “An enormous amount has happened with the technology. It is now possible to build bottom-fixed wind turbines down to a depth of at least 60 meters,” said Fogelström, speaking of the reports suggestion which draws the line at 40 meteres depth. Joacim Johannesson from HVM said that the agency would likely expand and improve upon the plans the next time they are to be revised, which according to an EU directive, must take place at least every eight years. (TT/Omni, TT/Omni)
Several of the green shares listed on the Oslo Bors which had struggled in recent times had a strong day today. Nel was up 11% and Aker Clean Hydrogen rose 10%. (DN Investor)
A majority in the Folketing voted in favour of a Government proposal, which implements the EU Directive for Renewable Energy in national legislation. The proposal contains i.a. a continuation of the current model for guarantees of origin for renewable energy and implements the agreement on requirements for sustainable biomass, which a broad majority in the Folketing entered into in October last year. (Energy Supply)
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 clip the stories of most relevance to international businesspeople and policy experts from the flow of news. We supplement these with our own opinion pieces and commentary, in English.