Mundus Nordic Green News – 14 October, 2020

Hydrogenpro debuts on Norway’s Merkur Market

Hydrogenpro, which supplies electrolysis plants for the production of hydrogen, IPOd on Norway’s Merkur market today making it the tenth green company to be listed this year. In a capital placement prior to the listing the company raised money at NOK 22.3 per share meaning that investors would have earned over 50% on their investment if they sold at noon today. According to an earlier press release from Hydrogenpro Mitsubishi Heavy Industries bought shares worth NOK 120 million in the private placement.

 

Green shares on the exchange have risen from 4.2% of the total value of listings to 8.3% this year the Oslo Stock Exchange writes in a press release on Wednesday.

 

Battle for ideas heats up in Sweden’s green transition

That Sweden will have a green change is apparently no longer in doubt, its just a question of in what direction, judged by three opinions expressed today. According to the nations leading business daily, Dagens Industri, the IEA’s annual report, heavily influenced by the corona pandemic, signals the death of coal, and the emergence of solar as a new energy champion. The paper calls for structural changes, tightening climate goals with credible instruments that ensure policy delivery in expanded electricity networks, renewable energy and a new generation of nuclear power. Meanwhile, Expressen, a tabloid decries Sweden’s efforts to grow domestic biofuels production as a dead.end. With many nations, regions and cities banning the sale of fossil-fueled vehicles, and the hydrogen and battery-vehicle industries surging in momentum, only Sweden and Finland see a strong future for biofuels. Sweden is wasting its resources trying to breathe life into an industry that is already condemned. Expressen accepts that there are good chances that aviation and shipping will demand more biofuels in the future, but says that the dream of a large, green industry that will supply motorists with fuels from the Swedish forest has a very short ‘best-before date’.  Finally, with Sweden’s leading opposition party, the Moderates focusing only on new nuclear and more charging points for electric cars, the Green Party observes this as blatant populism that refuses to take responsibility.

 

Opposition to wind farms increases in Norway

Research measuring the population's attitudes to the development of land-based wind power has shown a significant change over the last 18 months. A Norway-wide survey was conducted with representative samples of 3,000 people in April 2019, April 2020 and September 2020. The survey shows that the proportion who say they are very or fairly negative to the development of wind power on land has risen from 25% in April 2019 to 42% in September this year. The proportion who are positive has decreased from 49% to 35%. According to Per Hanasand, Chairman of the Norwegian Tourist Association, there is “a marked change of mood in the population where resistance to wind power on land has increased sharply. I think the reaction comes because people see the enormous natural damage many of the wind turbines have to untouched nature.”

---