Sweden’s green innovation is a “good selling point” for joining NATO, says the country’s Minister of Energy | Climate news
Sweden’s energy independence and green innovation should be a “good selling point” when trying to join NATO’s security alliance, the country’s energy minister has told Sky News.
Khashayar Farmanbar also said that he was “really worried” about how dependent the rest of Europe is still on Russian oil and gas, and that Sweden is leading by example.
When he spoke to Sky News at a new green steel project in Luleå in the north of the country, he said: “Compared to many other NATO countries … I would say that we are one of the most energy safe.
“The green transition creates many new jobs, it gives us energy security, but it honestly helps us save the planet so that it can be habitable for humanity in the future.
“And I think that in itself is a very good selling point for Sweden’s application to NATO.”
When asked if Europe had any lessons to learn from Sweden, which has almost completely decarbonised its electricity production with a mixture of hydropower, nuclear power and wind, he replied: “Definitely, I would say … we are here to cooperate and ensure that it happens.
“The need for Europe and the whole world to stop using fossil fuels is enormous.
“That job must continue at a fast pace.
“What this aggression that Russia is doing against Ukraine has shown is that we need to speed up this process further, and if there is anything Sweden can do, it is to set a good example, and show how we can be less dependent on fossil fuels. . in general, but specifically on Russia’s energy imports. “
He also criticized Britain’s decision to grant new licenses to extract fossil fuels in the North Sea, calling it the ‘long run’.
He said: “I see how some countries want to do it in the short term.
“Because right now … getting rid of Russian fossil imports can be really challenging. But in the long run, it’s the wrong way to go.”
Mr Farmanbar spoke to Sky News at a new, first-of-its-kind green hydrogen storage facility, where the reserves of the pressurized gas are stored in a specially sealed cave deep underground.
The plant is part of what is called the HYBRIT green steel project, a collaboration between the steel company SSAB, the mining company LKAB and the energy company Vattenfall.
Steelmaking has been notoriously difficult to decarbonize because coal is burned and coal is emitted as part of the production process.
Steel is also a critical material for the modern world – used in everything from homes, bridges, hospitals and schools to cars and turbines.
Its widespread use is the reason why the steel manufacturing industry accounts for almost 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions.
But the HYBRIT project has managed to come up with a way to replace coal with green hydrogen, which eliminates the dirtiest part of the process.
Mikael Nordlander, head of industrial emissions at HYBRIT, said: “When we started doing this in 2016, it was perceived in some cases as a crazy idea, but now, six years later, we have come a long way.
“It actually works.”
Small batches of green steel have already been used in construction vehicles from the Volvo company, but this is very new technology and will not be commercially available for several years.
It is also about 20-30% more expensive to manufacture than traditional steel, although costs are expected to fall as production increases.
Volvo Cars’ Purchasing Manager Kerstin Enochsson is convinced that consumers will be willing to pay a green premium and is monitoring a plan to eventually manufacture all of the company’s green steel vehicles.
On the floor of the production facility in Gothenburg, she told Sky News: “Maybe it’s a little more expensive, but at the same time we see that C02 is a cost as well.
“I am so confident that in the long run our customers will demand fossil-free products. We are confident that this is the right investment.”
SSAB’s Technical Manager Martin Pei said: “We believe this is the right path for the steel industry and this will also be a good step for us to take in our business, as we believe this will be the future way of manufacturing. steel.
“And we want to be the ones leading the way and creating this market, and our customers will initially be willing to pay a small premium to make this happen and it will be good for everyone.”
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