Sweden is very confidently implementing green technologies in the energy and industry sectors. In this way, the country can not only achieve climate neutrality faster than others, but also protect itself from external factors and unfriendly steps by other countries.
One of the most important tasks for the modern world is the gradual abandonment of fossil energy sources: coal, oil, natural gas, etc. New energy supply technologies are being developed and implemented in various sectors of the economy.
Until recently, the main goal of the European Union was to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. EU countries that are still heavily dependent on Russian oil and gas are closely studying the experience of those who are acting ahead of this schedule. One of these countries is Sweden, where green innovations are already quite visible in many sectors of the economy. And in some of them, they are even key.
Water, wind, and solar energy
In 2021, the share of renewable energy sources in Sweden’s electricity generation structure reached almost 60%. Another 30% is provided by nuclear power plants. The path to this structure was very long. But in recent years, the role of nature’s energy has been growing at a fantastic pace. The last coal-fired power plant in Sweden was closed in 2020, 2 years earlier than planned.
The first attempts to “green” the Swedish energy sector date back to 1973. Back then, during the oil crisis caused by the embargo against the Arab states, the cost of “black gold” increased several times. Sweden was then heavily dependent on oil and oil products, so in response, the country adopted a program to develop nuclear energy. It was planned to build four nuclear power plants with 24 reactors. Over time, this project lost its relevance. Since 2020, only 6 reactors have been operating in the country. The main emphasis in the electricity sector is on small hydropower plants and biofuels.
Green metallurgy
Industry and metallurgy have been, are and will be a major consumer of electricity for a long time to come. But it is often fossil energy. In addition, metallurgy is a rather “dirty” process in terms of environmental impact.
Swedish steelmakers are focused on a rapid transformation of their production and are leading the way in implementing modern technologies. Steelmaker SSAB, iron ore supplier LKAB and energy company Vattenfall are jointly implementing the HYBRIT pilot project, which is expected to reach industrial production scale (about 1 million tons of reduced iron) in 2024-2025 and allow SSAB to smelt steel without using fossil fuels.
Mobility without emissions
We have already mentioned biofuels when talking about electricity in Sweden. But this also applies to cars, which are being actively converted to biodiesel. Its share in the country’s transportation sector is almost 20%, a significant increase over the past 15 years. But there is an electric revolution ahead.
Swedish transport manufacturers are not standing aside from this process. Moreover, they set the trends! This Scandinavian country is primarily known for the Volvo car brand. Since 1999, Volvo Cars (passenger cars) and Volvo Trucks (trucks and buses) have been legally separate companies. But they are both confidently moving towards the transition to electric traction.