Nothing was happening, but suddenly the flood gates opened. Swedish hydrogen companies and their major investments are on everyone’s lips. Access to clean energy, extensive knowledge around materials and an exploding demand have made Swedish hydrogen a red-hot arena.
H2 Green Steel - a company based in the north of Sweden on a mission to produce fossil-free steel - has signed a multi-billion-dollar agreement with German company Thyssenkrupp Nucera for the construction of one of the world's largest electrolysis plants.
CemVision has previously produced its fossil-free cement in its pilot facility with a capacity of hundreds of tonnes per year. Now, the company has transferred the production to a test facility, meaning that the production increases to thousands of tonnes fossil-free cement per year and almost as big reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.
The Swedish premium lightweight electric motorcycle manufacturer CAKE has announced its entry into the Indian market. The first step is an introduction of 250 bikes from the model Makka, but more models are expected to follow.
Swedish truck maker Scania and battery producer Northvolt have presented an electric battery with a lifetime equivalent to a Scania truck, about 1,5 million kilometres.
Airports use a de-icing fluid on aircrafts before take-off. The fluids contain glycol, which needs to be treated and disposed of after use. The Swedish company Vilokan is now working with the Syracuse Hancock International Airport to realize the world’s largest glycol recycling and water purification plant, which would save water, decrease the environmental impact and reduce costs.
In southern Sweden, Vattenfall, a state-owned energy company, is building two battery storage systems that will be an efficient combination of wind power and batteries. The two battery storage facilities are expected to be ready for operation in early 2024.
As the need to transition to renewable energy is increasing, wind power installations are increasing too. In 2021, wind electricity generation increased by 17 % worldwide, and China, the US and Brazil increased the most in wind generation. The increased interest means increased pressure on using fossil materials such as iron and steel, which has a big environmental footprint.
The European Union has put forward a cleantech industrial plan to keep up in the race with China and the United States for a green industry transition. The Green Deal Industrial Plan will make it easier to push through subsidies for green industries and work towards the goal set by the EU to become climate-neutral by 2050.
The maritime sector uses 300 million tonnes of fossil fuels every year, and a sustainable transition is urgent to decrease the impact on the environment from the sector. Liquid Wind, a company that produces eMethanol, says that the solution can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 90 %. Now, Liquid Wind is building its third facility in the North of Sweden.
Swedish state-owned Vattenfall is building what will be the world’s biggest offshore wind power park in the Netherlands. When finished, the installed capacity will be 1,5 gigawatts – the same as Sweden’s biggest nuclear power reactor.
Imagine a world where you can shop sustainably because the new clothes you buy used to be another piece of clothing. The Swedish company Renewcell has created a product that enables just that. The company’s goal is to recycle 1,4 billion t-shirts per year by 2030.
